Missouri 2026 Regular Session Status: Enacted

SB 1135 — Creates "Bentley and Mason's Law" relating to child maintenance orders for certain persons convicted of the offense of driving while intoxicated

Last action — Signed by Governor

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 01, 2025. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Mike Kehoe (Republican) on July 13, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 50% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

Establishes child maintenance responsibilities for individuals convicted of DUI causing a parent's death.

This law requires those convicted of DUI, which resulted in a parent's death, to pay child maintenance to the deceased's child. Payments are ordered by a court and can begin after incarceration, if applicable.

What this means for you
  • Families: Families affected by a DUI incident can seek financial support for children left without a parent due to the offense.

Summary

SS/SB 1135 - This act establishes "Bentley and Mason's Law". Under this act, if a person is convicted of, pled guilty to, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to the offense of driving while intoxicated or driving with excessive blood alcohol content, such offense caused the death of a parent or guardian, and a surviving parent or guardian files a petition to receive child maintenance from the convicted person, such person shall pay, pursuant to a court order, child maintenance to the child of the deceased parent or guardian in an amount and duration as specified in the act. If the person ordered to pay child maintenance is unable to make maintenance because such person is imprisoned or otherwise confined, then the person shall have up to one year after release from incarceration to begin payment, including any arrearage. If the surviving parent or guardian brings a civil action and obtains a judgment against the person prior to any child maintenance order under this section, no maintenance shall be ordered. If the surviving parent or guardian brings a civil action after maintenance is ordered, the maintenance order shall offset the judgement. If the surviving parent or guardian obtains a payment from any motor vehicle liability insurer relating to the death of the parent or parents, then the maintenance order shall be offset by the amount obtained from the insurer. No funds received from the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund shall result in a reduction of a child maintenance order under this act. This act is substantially similar to provisions in SB 235 (2025), SCS/HCS/HB 87 (2025), and HB 1958 (2024) and similar to provisions in SB 143 (2025), SB 1375 (2024), a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 2700 (2024), HCS/SS#2/SB 862 (2024), and HB 1954 (2022). SARAH HASKINS

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

3 added · 3 removed

Plain-language change summary

The bill's title has been changed from "Bentley's Law" to "Bentley and Mason's Law." Additionally, the criteria for child maintenance payments have been broadened to include any offense under specified sections of the law, not just driving while intoxicated, if it leads to the death of a child's parent. This matters because it expands the accountability of individuals who cause harm to families, ensuring that children who lose a parent due to any related offense can receive financial support for their upbringing.

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SECOND REGULAR SESSION [PERFECTED] SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILLNO.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION [TRULYAGREED TOAND FINALLY PASSED] SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILLNO.
1135 103RD GENERALASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY SENATOR HENDERSON.
1135 103RD GENERALASSEMBLY 3858S.03T ANACT To amend chapter 454, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to child maintenance orders for certain persons convicted of driving while intoxicated.
3858S.03P KRISTINAMARTIN, Secretary ANACT To amend chapter 454, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to child maintenance orders for certain persons convicted of driving while intoxicated.
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Action History

  1. Signed by Governor

  2. Reported Duly Enrolled Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions & Ethics Committee

  3. Signed by Senate President Pro Tem

  4. Signed by House Speaker

  5. Delivered to Governor

  6. Voted Do Pass H Fiscal Review

  7. Reported Do Pass H Fiscal Review

  8. H Third Read and Passed

  9. Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed

  10. Bill Placed on H Informal Calendar

  11. Referred H Fiscal Review Committee

  12. Voted Do Pass H Rules - Legislative

  13. Reported Do Pass H Rules - Legislative

  14. Referred H Rules - Legislative

  15. Reported Do Pass H Children and Families

  16. Voted Do Pass H Children and Families

  17. Hearing Conducted H Children and Families

  18. Referred H Children and Families

  19. H Second Read

  20. Voted Do Pass S Fiscal Oversight Committee

  21. Reported from S Fiscal Oversight Committee

  22. S Third Read and Passed

  23. H First Read

  24. Referred S Fiscal Oversight Committee

  25. SS S offered (Henderson)--(3858S.03F)

  26. SA 1 to SS S offered & adopted (Washington)--(3858S03.05S)

  27. SS, as amended, S adopted

  28. Perfected

  29. Reported Truly Perfected S Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee

  30. Reported from S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  31. Voted Do Pass S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  32. Hearing Conducted S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  33. Second Read and Referred S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  34. S First Read

  35. Prefiled

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 198 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (198)

198 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 198 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 1135 do?
SS/SB 1135 - This act establishes "Bentley and Mason's Law". Under this act, if a person is convicted of, pled guilty to, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to the offense of driving while intoxicated or driving with excessive blood alcohol content, such offense caused the death of a parent or guardian, and a surviving parent or guardian files a petition to receive child maintenance from the convicted person, such person shall pay, pursuant to a court order, child maintenance to the child of the deceased parent or guardian in an amount and duration as specified in the act. If the person ordered to pay child maintenance is unable to make maintenance because such person is imprisoned or otherwise confined, then the person shall have up to one year after release from incarceration to begin payment, including any arrearage. If the surviving parent or guardian brings a civil action and obtains a judgment against the person prior to any child maintenance order under this section, no maintenance shall be ordered. If the surviving parent or guardian brings a civil action after maintenance is ordered, the maintenance order shall offset the judgement. If the surviving parent or guardian obtains a payment from any motor vehicle liability insurer relating to the death of the parent or parents, then the maintenance order shall be offset by the amount obtained from the insurer. No funds received from the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund shall result in a reduction of a child maintenance order under this act. This act is substantially similar to provisions in SB 235 (2025), SCS/HCS/HB 87 (2025), and HB 1958 (2024) and similar to provisions in SB 143 (2025), SB 1375 (2024), a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 2700 (2024), HCS/SS#2/SB 862 (2024), and HB 1954 (2022). SARAH HASKINS
Who sponsors SB 1135?
SB 1135 is sponsored by Mike Henderson.
What is the current status of SB 1135?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 01, 2025. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 1135?
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