A coalition of Delaware community members pushing for reform of the court fines and fees system, and seeking to eliminate poverty as an element of criminal punishment.
We did it! House Bill 133, the Ability to Pay Bill, has passed the Delaware General Assembly! This history-making legislation is an important step toward ending the practice of punishing people simply because they cannot afford to pay court-imposed fines and fees. HB 133 ensures that a person’s ability to pay can be taken into account, giving courts a meaningful process to waive or reduce certain fines and fees when financial hardship makes payment impossible. This means fewer Delawareans will be trapped in cycles of debt because of their involvement with the criminal legal system. This victory is the result of years of advocacy, organizing, and persistence from directly impacted people, advocates, community partners, and legislators who believe that poverty should never be a crime. We’re celebrating this win, and we’re not done yet.
Read our HB 133 One-Pager to learn more about what the Ability to Pay Bill does and what this historic legislation means for Delawareans.
