HOUSE BILL 569
Know your rights. Share what you learn with anyone coming home.
The Bonton Farms Act (Texas HB 569) passed the Texas House 148 to 1 and the Senate 30 to 0, requiring judges to credit $150 per day of incarceration toward outstanding Class C misdemeanor fines and warrants for Texans confined after committing the offense. It closes a debt trap that has kept people newly home from prison from getting a license, a job, or housing, simply because no one was required to tell them the debt existed.
This law was born in Bonton. Community Advocate Daris Lee's story, and the testimony of South Dallas residents, carried it from a neighborhood engineered to be cut off from opportunity all the way to Austin.
Scott Sanford, Minister and former Texas State Representative
Senator Royce West
Daron Babcock, Founder and Board Member, Bonton Farms
Daris Lee, Community Advocate and the story behind HB 569
Mark Jones, President and CEO, Bonton Farms
Melissa Metoyer, Senior Director, Health Equity and Community Impact
HB 569 ADVOCACY GUIDE
WHO YOU ARE DETERMINES WHAT YOU DO NEXT
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Tell your attorney or the court about the HB 569 credit before or at sentencing.
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Share this guide with someone who may qualify and help them connect with an attorney or legal advocate.
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Add HB 569 to your intake checklist and ask about eligibility early.
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Raise the credit at the sentencing and review open cases for clients who may qualify.
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Host a Know Your Rights conversation and share the story behind this change.
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Partner with Bonton Farms to connect returning citizens with training and emplyment opportunites.
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HB 569 closed one financial barrier. Structural barriers remain. Find the next barrier. Build the case for change. Keep the work moving.
“You can’t advocate for yourself if you don’t know your rights. And you can’t change a system you don’t understand. Too many people are navigating systems that were designed with barriers built into them. Knowing your rights gives you the ability to challenge what isn’t working and advocate for what should be different.”
-Melissa Metoyer
Daris Lee, Mark Jones, and Daron Babcock
“My sentence ended, but the debt didn’t. After I was released, the debt I was facing felt insurmountable. I remember feeling like I would have been better off staying in prison because I couldn’t see a way to pay it off. I felt like going back to the same things that landed me in prison was my only option.”
-Daris Lee
July 9, 2021 marked a historic day with the signing of the Bonton Farms Act, which took effect September 1, 2021.
In Texas, unpaid traffic tickets and fines will no longer stand in the way of formerly incarcerated legislation requires judges and justices to credit defendants for time served toward tickets, fines, and warrants that were incurred before incarceration.
For many returning citizens, unpaid fines create a significant barrier to rebuilding their lives. Without the ability to clear these debts, individuals often struggle to obtain a valid driver's license, which can seeking employment, housing, and other opportunities essential to long-term stability.
Five years later, the impact of the Bonton Farms Act continues to be felt across Texas. We are grateful to State Representative Scott Sanford and State Senator Royce West for their leadership and partnership in making this legislation possible. Thank you to the many supporters, advocates, and community members who helped turn hope into prosperity. Together, we helped create pathways to opportunity and fresh starts for countless Texans.
The Bonton Farms Act demonstrated what can happen when grassroots advocacy and lived experience come together to shape meaningful change. The bill serves as a reminder that lasting change often starts at the community level, where people closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions. Today, Bonton Farms continues its mission of cultivating wellness, creating economic opportunities, and empowering individuals and families to thrive.
“While the bill references Bonton, we are just one example of neighborhoods being harmed. Our communities, cities, and state are better off to flourish. The Bonton Farms Act will restore hope to thousands.”
-Daron Babcock
