A bill in Tennessee that would require drunk drivers who kill the parent of a minor to pay child support unanimously passed the state Senate on Wednesday.
The bill requires anyone convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication, or aggravated vehicular homicide, when the victim is the parent of a minor child to pay restitution for each child until they are 18 and have graduated high school.
Courts are charged with determining the amount of child support on a case-by-case basis in the bill, depending on the circumstances of the children and their living guardians. If a defendant is unable to pay while incarcerated, they will have one year after release to begin payment.
The bill was also known as "Bentley's Law" after an child in Missouri whose parents were killed in an accident involving a drunk driver, according to news reports. Cecilia Williams is now raising her orphaned grandchild and has advocated for the bill.#bentley'slaw,
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