A Missouri grandmother is fighting to pass “Bentley’s Law,” a bill that would require drunk drivers who kill a parent to pay child support to the victim’s surviving children. The measure is named after her grandsons, Bentley and Mason, whose parents and baby sibling died in a drunk driving crash in 2021.
If approved, payments would begin roughly one year after the offender is released from prison and continue until the child turns 18, or up to 21 if they are still enrolled in school. Similar laws already exist in Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, and Maine.
Supporters say the law would hold offenders more fully accountable while helping children left behind cover housing, education, and other basic needs — ensuring the loss of a parent doesn’t also mean financial hardship.
If approved, payments would begin roughly one year after the offender is released from prison and continue until the child turns 18, or up to 21 if they are still enrolled in school. Similar laws already exist in Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, and Maine.
Supporters say the law would hold offenders more fully accountable while helping children left behind cover housing, education, and other basic needs — ensuring the loss of a parent doesn’t also mean financial hardship.
A Missouri grandmother is fighting to pass “Bentley’s Law,” a bill that would require drunk drivers who kill a parent to pay child support to the victim’s surviving children. The measure is named after her grandsons, Bentley and Mason, whose parents and baby sibling died in a drunk driving crash in 2021.
If approved, payments would begin roughly one year after the offender is released from prison and continue until the child turns 18, or up to 21 if they are still enrolled in school. Similar laws already exist in Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, and Maine.
Supporters say the law would hold offenders more fully accountable while helping children left behind cover housing, education, and other basic needs — ensuring the loss of a parent doesn’t also mean financial hardship.
