Tennessee Passes A Bill That Will Require Anyone Convicted Of Vehicular Homicide To Pay Child Support If The Victim Was A Parent Of A Minor

Tennessee passed a bill that will require people convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication to pay child support if they kill a parent.

On Wednesday, CBSNews reported that the Senate passed House Bill 1834. The bill will require anyone convicted of vehicular homicide to pay restitution for child maintenance if the victim is a parent of a minor.

Since the payments will resemble child support, each child affected will receive the compensation until they reach 18 years old. Many different factors will determine the amount of the expenses. Officials will take the financial needs and resources into consideration. Also, the standard of living the child is accustomed to will also be included in determining the payment amounts.

If the defendant is behind bars and cannot pay, they will have one year following their release to begin paying.

The bill was already unanimously passed in the state’s House before receiving approval from the Senate. The bill was also renamed the “Ethan, Haile, and Bentley’s Law” in honor of the children whose father was killed after a hit and run.

Ethan, Haile, and Bentley are the children of Tennessee police officer Nicholas Galinger. In 2019, Galinger (38) was struck and killed by Janet Hinds while inspecting an overflowing utility hole cover. Authorities could not check Hinds’s blood alcohol level due to her fleeing the scene. However, a nearby bar provided footage of Hinds consuming five drinks before leaving.

Galinger was one month away from graduating from the police academy before the tragic incident. In February, Hinds was sentenced to 11 years behind bars for the fatal hit-and-run.