A global compensation bill for the wrongfully incarcerated moved forward in the state Senate Tuesday with a provision that would require applicants to have no prior felonies before they could be automatically compensated for their lost liberty.

The bill (SB 756) passed the Criminal Justice Committee unanimously, ending a stalemate over the "clean hands" provision, which Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, had previously opposed. Instead, she wanted a version that excluded from automatic pay only those who had committed prior violent offenses rather than all felonies.

The bill would provide $50,000 for each year a person served in prison for crimes he or she didn't commit, and would give 120 credit hours for them to attend a Florida college or university.

Joyner ended up supporting the bill with clean-hands attached, matching the House version. She said she did not want to hurt the two exonerated men that would be eligible for compensation if the bill passes.

In all, seven people in Florida who have been exonerated of wrongdoing are awaiting compensation. Five of them have prior felonies.

"The claims process is still open to those who have prior felonies," Joyner said.

She voted for the bill "with the hope in the future I'll be able to modify that provision so that prior felonies can come out in the future. This is a starting point."

Senate Majority Leader Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, said he's been working on a global bill for four years and said he hopes it modifies the claims process.

"I think the 'clean-hands' provision is important for a start," Webster told the committee.

Advocates give the bill grudging support.

"We've been lucky that Alan Crotzer is going to be paid this year, he only had to spend two years going through this. ... The question is, is this the way we want to continue to have these guys come up here and be re-traumatized and re-victimized," said Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida.

Crotzer has a $1.25 million claims bill that has cleared the House and Senate. Crotzer spent 24 years in prison for crimes he didn't commit.

The bill next goes to the Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee before consideration by the full Senate.