Written by The Lisa Torry Smith Act was introduced in the Texas Senate by Sen. Joan Huffman, as SB 1055. It passed unanimously out of committee, then passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Today, it passed the Texas House of Representatives, again with bipartisan support.
The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature.
The legislation was named after Lisa Torry Smith, who was killed by a reckless driver in October 2017, while walking her 6-year-old son to school. The driver was not prosecuted, because Texas law at the time did not clearly provide for holding drivers criminally liable in such cases.
Fort Bend District Attorney Brian Middleton, who helped craft and promote the legislation, said: ”If the law would have been clearer and provided more instruction, the outcome would have likely been different.”
The legislation moved swiftly through the legislature, and won support from both Republicans and Democrats, because Lisa’s family worked hard to spread the word. They met with lawmakers, made calls, sent letters, organized their community, and they had help from D.A. Middleton, Sen. Huffman, Rep. Reynolds, Sheriff Fagan, citizen advocates from Bike Texas, and other concerned citizens across the state.
In an interview with KPRC Houston, Lisa’s mother Elaine Brooks said “We vowed that we were not going to let her death be in vain.” Lisa’s sister Gina Torry, who led the campaign and leads Citizens for Road Safety, explained the family’s dedication, saying:
If we can help to prevent this from happening to another mother who simply wants to walk her child to school then this honors my sister’s life.
State Sen. Joan Huffman released a statement, marking the bill’s passage:
As legislators, we strive to make our communities safer. When I learned of the tragic incident that resulted in the loss of Lisa Torry Smith’s life, and the lack of punishment that followed, I knew we had to act. SB 1055 passed the House today, which means the bill is in the final stretch of being approved by the Governor and signed into law.
Even though the work is not quite finished, I am optimistic that her legacy shall live on through this legislation, and that similar tragedies can be prevented in our communities. I am so grateful to have the support of both my Senate and House colleagues through this process, and it has been an honor to work with those of you that knew and loved Lisa to preserve her memory.
Lisa’s family are committed not only to seeing this bill become law, but to honoring Lisa’s legacy, and all lives lost to reckless driving, by working through Citizens for Road Safety to empower Texans to build safer communities.