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A Tennessee woman wants drunk drivers to pay financial consequences after her son and grandson were killed in a fatal car crash.
Cecilia is now raising the late couple’s surviving children, Mason and Bentley, and wants drunk drivers to be held responsible in a new way.
Hall did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Under Bentley’s Law (HB1834), which has already been introduced in other states such as Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, the court will decide how much money is distributed to the child based on the needs of the child and their surviving parent or guardian. The standard of living the child is used to is also considered.
If the driver is in jail and can’t pay, they’ll be required to start payments one year after their release. “If a defendant’s child maintenance payments are set to terminate but the defendant’s obligation is not paid in full, the payments will continue until paid in full,” the bill adds. The defendant will not have to pay child support if the surviving parent or guardian files a civil lawsuit and receives a judgment before the sentencing court rules on child support payments.
Bentley’s Law was passed in Tennessee’s House of Representatives on Feb. 28. It will now go to the Senate and the governor’s desk to be passed into law.
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She has since set her sights on getting the bill passed in Missouri with the help of Rep. Mike Henderson, who introduced it asHB1954in the state,KY3reports.
“I was kind of astounded that the state didn’t have anything in place like this,” Henderson told the news outlet.
Rep. Henderson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
