By Christian Manuel Briceno
04 Sep 2023, 19:47 PM EDT
A new law in Texas recently went into effect and has had the support of both Democratic and Republican legislators, as it addresses a common problem in the state: fatal accidents caused by drunk drivers. What is the law? The regulations require drunk drivers who cause the death of parents or legal guardians to pay child support to the victims until they reach the age of 18. This was reported by the news portal NBC News.
Minors, children of victims, will receive payments until they are 18 years old or until they graduate from high school, whichever is later.
This law was signed by the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, on June 2. A month later, the state president expressed, through his X account (formerly known as Twitter), his contempt for this type of accident. “Any loss of a parent is tragic, but a death caused by a drunk driver is especially appalling,” Abbott said on X on July 25.
The monthly payment caused by drunk drivers will be determined by a court, according to NBC News. The stipend will be determined based on the financial needs of the child, as well as the financial resources of the defendant.
Payments will be made to the surviving parent or guardian or to the Department of Family and Protective Services if the child is in your care.
If the defendant is unable to make the necessary payments due to imprisonment, payments must begin no later than one year after release.
“The defendant must pay all arrears, regardless of whether the restitution payments were scheduled to end while the defendant was confined or incarcerated in the correctional facility,” the law states, according to NBC News.
The law, called HB 393, applies to incidents that occur after it goes into effect.
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