If a drunk driver causes the death or disability of an adult and that adult has children, the drunk driver could have to pay child support to those children.

That's the idea behind Senate Bill 268.

The bill's sponsor, Senator David Yates of Louisville, has nicknamed the bill Melanie's law.

My cousin, Melanie Hall, is two weeks younger than I am.

She's currently hooked up on machines, life sustaining, fighting for her life.

On 7 to 22, Her and her little boy, Nolan were in a motor vehicle and a drunk driver ran a red light.

Amber watched and ran a red light and hit them.

On the way, she was dropped off at a preschool.

We pray for a miracle every day for Melanie, but we know there's no way that she will ever be able to provide for this child.

This is about fairness for the child.

This is about accountability for the offender.

It's deterrence effect.

Is this something people talk about?

It encourages justice for victims.

We keep talking about increasing penalties, increasing crimes.

This is an increase of a crime.

This is a restitution.

This is trying to make right.

You're wrong.

So while this individual, when she gets out of prison right in that check, may not be the end of everything, she will write that check and she'll think about that child that's surviving.

Fairness, accountability and justice.

Those are words that I love.

We spend so much time these days trying to make offenders whole that we forget about the victims.

And this is a bill that seeks, although that will never happen, that they will be made whole, but it seeks to provide accountability and at least move towards that goal to help the surviving children.

Thank you for the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Senate Judiciary Committee today okayed that bill, so it now goes on to the full Senate.