BOSTON, MA — The Boston City Council voted this week to adopt a resolution endorsing the Road to Opportunity Act (S.2368/H.3662), a proposed state law that would eliminate driver’s license suspensions for unpaid debts unrelated to road safety, according to a press release Thursday from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC).
Filed by City Councilors Liz Breadon, Henry Santana and Benjamin Weber, and introduced by Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid and Sen. Julian Cyr, the resolution signals the city’s support for ending what advocates call a form of economic punishment that disproportionately impacts low-income residents and people of color.
“Blocking license renewals for unpaid tolls and other debts unrelated to road safety is a harmful and onerous burden,” said Breadon, according to the NCLC. “Without payment plans, hardship waivers, or meaningful options for relief, people are forced off the road simply because they can’t pay in full.”
Santana said his support stems from the real-life stories he hears from constituents juggling multiple jobs and family responsibilities. “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,” Santana stated.
Weber described the legislation as one that would help “lower barriers to increasing our poorest residents’ ability to earn by reducing the cost of poverty,” the NCLC reported.
“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 Fluker-Reid, as quoted by the NCLC. “Having a driver’s license isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline.”
Under current Massachusetts law, a person may lose their license for failing to pay debts unrelated to their driving record. These suspensions can impact residents’ ability to maintain employment, attend school or care for their families. Fluker-Reid said the legislation would “remove those barriers” rather than punish people for economic hardship.
Cyr echoed that view, saying the resolution reflects a belief in second chances and a commitment to removing “needless barriers that stand in the way of opportunity,” the NCLC stated.
According to the NCLC, the Road to Opportunity Act would end license suspensions for unpaid fees or fines unrelated to traffic safety, create waiver and reduction programs based on income, require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue text and email reminders before suspensions, and bring Massachusetts in line with other states—both red and blue—that have already adopted similar reforms.
Gavi Wolfe, legislative director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, praised the vote. “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,” Wolfe said, according to the NCLC.
The resolution adds to growing support for the bill from organizations including the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, and dozens of local and national nonprofits across a range of sectors.
The vote came a day after a Massachusetts State House hearing where advocates and legal experts urged lawmakers to pass the Road to Opportunity Act.
Dianna Williams of Public Counsel Services said the issue goes beyond inconvenience. “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,” she said. “It’s time for Massachusetts to pass the Road to Opportunity Act and stop punishing people for being poor.”
Caroline Cohn, a staff attorney at the NCLC, said the reform would strengthen the economy and stabilize families. “Suspending licenses for unpaid fines and fees punishes poverty,” Cohn said. “We’re grateful to the Boston City Council for backing legislation that puts the well-being of Massachusetts residents first.”
With this resolution, Boston becomes the latest city to formally support the Road to Opportunity Act.
