Creates a civil cause of action allowing claimants to seek damages from the state for wrongful conviction

HB 254 creates a new legal right for individuals wrongfully convicted of crimes in Missouri to sue the state for financial compensation. The bill establishes a "State Legal Expense Fund" to pay for these claims, funded by state appropriations. This fund will cover payments resulting from court judgments against the state for wrongful convictions, replacing previous compensation processes. The bill repeals two existing sections of Missouri law and replaces them with new sections defining the fund and the claim process.