BOSTON — Today, the Boston City Council adopted a resolution in support of legislation to end debt-based driving restrictions. The resolution, filed by Councilors Liz Breadon (District 9), Henry Santana (At-Large), and Benjamin Weber (District 6), supports the Road to Opportunity Act (S.2368/H.3662), introduced by Representative Brandy Fluker-Reid (D-12th Suffolk) and Senator Julian Cyr (D-Cape and Islands).
“Blocking license renewals for unpaid tolls and other debts unrelated to road safety is a harmful and onerous burden. Without payment plans, hardship waivers, or meaningful options for relief, people are forced off the road simply because they can’t pay in full,” said District 9 Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon. “Following yesterday’s legislative hearing, I’m proud to support the Road to Opportunity Act as a commonsense reform that accommodates financial hardship and ensures debt alone doesn’t determine someone’s ability to drive, work, or care for their family.”
“As someone who represents our Boston working-class communities, people juggling multiple jobs, raising families, and doing their best to stay afloat, I hear far too many devastating stories of lost jobs, missed rent, or falling deeper into crisis—all because of people losing their driver’s license over debts that have nothing to do with road safety,” said Boston City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana. “It’s time Massachusetts stops criminalizing poverty, and here in Boston, we see how these policies hit low-income families and communities of color the hardest. I’m proud to support the Road to Opportunity Act, which will replace these harmful policies with sensible solutions that still hold people accountable while giving them a real chance to move forward.”
“Being able to drive and earn a living should not be dependent on your income level,” City Councilor Ben Weber said. “This legislation can help lower barriers to increasing our poorest residents’ ability to earn by reducing the cost of poverty.”
“No one should lose their ability to drive just because they can’t afford to pay a parking ticket or an overdue EZ-Pass toll,” said Representative Brandy Fluker-Reid (D-Mattapan). “For many, having a driver’s license isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. It’s how people get to work, care for families, and meet everyday needs. Debt-based suspensions trap people, especially in low-income communities, in a cycle that threatens jobs, homes, and basic stability. That’s why I filed H. 3662 to remove those barriers, so financial hardship doesn’t cut families off from opportunity. It’s about fairness and recognizing that punishing people for economic struggle isn’t justice. I’m grateful to the Boston City Council for standing with us to give every resident a fair shot at a secure future.”
“I’m grateful to Councilors Breadon, Santana, Weber, and the Boston City Council for their strong show of support for my Road to Opportunity bill,” said Senator Julian Cyr. “This legislation is about recognizing that a suspended driver’s license—often for reasons that have nothing to do with driving—can derail someone’s ability to work, care for their family, and get back on their feet. By backing this effort, the City of Boston is sending a clear message: we believe in second chances and we believe in removing needless barriers that stand in the way of opportunity.”
“Suspending people’s driver’s licenses for unpaid fines and fees punishes poverty and traps low-income residents in a cycle of debt and instability,” said Caroline Cohn, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “We’re grateful to the Boston City Council for backing commonsense legislation that will strengthen the economy, promote public safety, and most importantly, put the well-being of Massachusetts residents first.”
“Losing a driver’s license due to debt is devastating to low-wage workers, and it is common,” said Kristen Bor-Zale, staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services. “We appreciate the Boston City Council’s support of the Road to Opportunity Act.”
The Road to Opportunity Act would eliminate license suspension triggers that are not related to road safety, and it would allow for fee waivers or reductions if drivers are unable to afford them. It would also require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to send text and email reminders to improve fine and fee collection. The Road to Opportunity Act Coalition Steering Committee has urged Massachusetts to join the growing number of states—red, blue, and purple—that have passed legislation to end or significantly curb debt-based license suspensions.
“We’ve done away with debtor’s prisons and we should do away with laws that strip someone of their driver’s license when they’re drowning in fees they can’t afford,” said Gavi Wolfe, Legislative Director at the ACLU of Massachusetts. “We applaud Councilors Breadon, Santana, Weber, and the Boston City Council for recognizing that there’s no justice in punishing poverty.”
With this resolution, the Boston City Council adds its voice to the chorus of support for this important bill—joining the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, and dozens of other local, state, and national nonprofits, representing interests ranging from faith-based to economic justice, civil rights to transportation. The new resolution comes one day after a hearing at the Massachusetts State House, where advocates, experts, and community members testified in strong support of the Road to Opportunity Act.
“Debt-based driving restrictions criminalize poverty by pulling Bay Staters—especially residents of color—into the criminal legal system for driving on a suspended license simply to get to work, take their kids to school, or see a doctor,” said Dianna Williams, Legislative Policy Counsel for the Committee for Public Counsel Services. “It’s time for Massachusetts to pass the Road to Opportunity Act and stop punishing people for being poor.”
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The Road to Opportunity Act Coalition Steering Committee is comprised of the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Fines and Fees Justice Center, Greater Boston Legal Services, the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, LivableStreets Alliance, and the National Consumer Law Center.
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