Ethan, Hailey and Bentley’s law: Tennessee law requires drunk drivers to pay child support for victims

Known as “Ethan, Hailey and Bentley’s Law,” courts can determine the amount of child support on a case-by-case basis based on the circumstances of the child’s surviving legal guardian.

The law requires anyone convicted of a traffic homicide for intoxication or aggravated traffic homicide if the victim is a parent of a minor child to pay compensation for each child until they are 18 and graduate from high school .

The law was named after two cases involving Tennessee children whose parents were killed by drunk drivers.

If a defendant is unable to pay while incarcerated, they have one year after their release to begin paying.