KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Missouri

SB1135 • 2026

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

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

Children
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Henderson, Mike; House handler: N/A
Last action
2026-04-21
Official status
H Second Read
Effective date
2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SA 1 SS

4/15/2026 - SA 1 to SS S offered & adopted (Washington) • Washington

Adopted

Plain English: Adopted 4/15/2026 - SA 1 to SS S offered & adopted (Washington) by Washington

  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
  • The official amendment text was available, but an easy plain-English summary could not be produced automatically during the last sync.
SS

4/15/2026 - SS S offered (Henderson) • Henderson

Adopted, as amended

Plain English: Adopted, as amended 4/15/2026 - SS S offered (Henderson) by Henderson

  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
  • The official amendment text was available, but an easy plain-English summary could not be produced automatically during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-21 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    H Second Read

  2. 2026-04-20 H1862

    H First Read

  3. 2026-04-20 S1034

    S Third Read and Passed

  4. 2026-04-20 S1032

    Reported from S Fiscal Oversight Committee

  5. 2026-04-20 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Voted Do Pass S Fiscal Oversight Committee

  6. 2026-04-16 S1021

    Referred S Fiscal Oversight Committee

  7. 2026-04-15 S1010

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

  8. 2026-04-15 S999

    Perfected

  9. 2026-04-15 S999

    SS, as amended, S adopted

  10. 2026-04-15 S998-999

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

  11. 2026-04-15 S998

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

  12. 2026-04-08 S890

    Reported from S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  13. 2026-03-25 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Voted Do Pass S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  14. 2026-02-25 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Hearing Conducted S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

  15. 2026-01-15 S188

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

  16. 2026-01-07 S63

    S First Read

  17. 2025-12-01 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Prefiled

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Perfected

Print

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

Senate Substitute

Print

SS/SB 1135 - This act establishes "Bentley and Mason's Law". Under this act, if a person is convicted of the offense of driving while intoxicated, 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 convicted 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.

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

Introduced

Print

SB 1135 - This act establishes "Bentley's Law". Under this act, if a person is convicted of the offense of driving while intoxicated, 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 convicted 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.

This act is identical 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