This law has been spreading online, and many people are surprised to learn it is real.
This law requires some drunk drivers to help support children who lose a parent in a deadly crash.
The law is called Bentley’s Law. It was signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and took effect on September 1, 2023.
Under the law, a person convicted of intoxication manslaughter must pay money to a child whose parent or guardian was killed in the crash.
A judge decides how much the person must pay. The decision is based on the child’s needs and the offender’s financial situation.
In most cases, the payments continue until the child turns 18 or finishes high school.
Bentley’s Law was inspired by a crash in Missouri in 2021. The crash killed members of a family and left two young boys, Bentley and Mason, without their parents.
The boys’ grandmother later spoke out and pushed for a law that would make drunk drivers help support the children left behind.
The first version of Bentley’s Law was passed in Tennessee in 2022.
Texas passed its own version the next year. Lawmakers in several other states have also introduced similar proposals.
If the person responsible for the crash is in prison and cannot pay during that time, the debt does not disappear.
The financial obligation remains and can continue after the person is released.
Since it became law in 2023, the story has appeared online many times as more people learn about it.
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By award-winning Texas author Cynthia Leal Massey.
Clever Journeys 