Drunk drivers in Texas who kill parents of a child will now be required to pay child support

The law will go into effect on Sept. 1.

click to enlarge Both Texas and San Antonio have high rates of drunk driving according to separate studies. - Pexels / energepic.com
Pexels / energepic.com
Both Texas and San Antonio have high rates of drunk driving according to separate studies.
Convicted drunk drivers who kill both parents of a child under 18 years old will now be required to pay child support under a bill signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month.

Under House Bill 393, the person convicted of Intoxication manslaughter of both a child's parents will have to make monthly payments to the child's legal guardians. The law doesn't apply in situations where an adult's parents are killed in a collision.

The amount of money owed will be determined by an array of factors, including the standard of living the child is accustomed to, their physical and emotional condition and the child's educational needs, among other expenses related to being a parent.

The law goes into effect on Sept. 1. People convicted under the statute will be required to start making payments no more than a year after they are released from prison.

Texas has consistently ranked among the worst states for drunk drivers, most recently coming in at No. 3, according to Forbes Advisor. San Antonio has also been ranked among the U.S. cities with the highest rate of DWIs, coming in at No. 4 in 2021.

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Michael Karlis

Michael Karlis is a Staff Writer at the San Antonio Current. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., whose work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Orlando Weekly, NewsBreak, 420 Magazine and Mexico Travel Today. He reports primarily on breaking news, politics...

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