HB 1910 Missouri House · 2026 Regular Session

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

HB 1910, "Bentley and Mason's Law," requires a person convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) that caused a parent's death to pay child maintenance to surviving children if a surviving parent or guardian petitions the court. The maintenance continues until the child turns 18 (or 21 if the court extends it) or meets specific milestones, such as completing secondary school, vocational training, or higher education (with at least 12 credit hours per semester and passing grades). The law also allows extensions beyond age 18 for children with physical or mental incapacities that prevent self-support. This bill directly affects children who lost a parent due to a DWI offense and the convicted individuals ordered to pay maintenance.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Dec 1, 2025 Last action Apr 22, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from an original introduction to a House Committee Substitute, indicating it has been amended by the committee. The most significant policy change is the shift from mandatory to discretionary court orders for child maintenance in cases where a parent is convicted of driving while intoxicated and causes a child's death. Additionally, the rules for extending support to adult children attending school were softened from mandatory continuation to optional continuation.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding mandatory financial support was narrowed, giving courts more discretion in specific death-related cases.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the requirement for child maintenance in death cases from mandatory ('shall be ordered') to discretionary ('may be ordered'), allowing courts to decide case-by-case whether to award support.

Changed the rule for children attending secondary school from mandatory maintenance continuation to optional continuation, giving courts discretion to stop payments if the child drops out or fails to progress.

Changed the rule for children in higher education from mandatory maintenance continuation to optional continuation, allowing courts to decide whether to extend support based on the child's academic performance.

DEFINITION

Added a new provision allowing maintenance to continue for children with developmental disabilities or health problems that prevent them from carrying the standard number of credit hours required for eligibility.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's header and clerk number to reflect its status as a House Committee Substitute (HCS) rather than an original introduction.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 11 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0

lower

Apr 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Voted Do Pass (H)

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Committee

Referred: Rules - Legislative(H)

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

HCS Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 7 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 1

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

HCS Voted Do Pass (H)

lower

Jan 8, 2026

Committee

Referred: Judiciary(H)

lower

Dec 1, 2025

Introduced

Prefiled (H)

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor