DE HB482

Requires defendants convicted of causing a parent's death while driving under the influence to pay restitution to the deceased's child until the child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later

Courts must determine restitution amounts based on factors including the child's financial needs, the surviving parent's resources, the child's standard of living, educational needs, and custody arrangements

Incarcerated defendants have up to 1 year after release to begin payments, and restitution continues beyond the scheduled end date if the full amount remains unpaid

Restitution payments are made through the Prothonotary as trustee, who must remit funds to the surviving parent within 3 business days

Civil judgments offset restitution orders: if a surviving parent obtains a civil judgment before or after the restitution order, the court adjusts accordingly to prevent double recovery

Named "Bentley's Law" in honor of Bentley Williams, whose parents were killed by a drunk driver in Missouri in April 2021