SB 140

WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 663
Chapter 663
  (Senate Bill 140)
AN ACT concerning
  Criminal Law – Benefits Exploitation
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from knowingly recruiting, harboring,
    transporting, or obtaining an individual for the purpose of appropriating the
    government benefits of an individual for the benefit of the person or another by
    certain means; prohibiting a person from knowingly benefitting in a certain manner
    from participation in a venture that violates a certain provision of this Act;
    prohibiting a person from aiding, abetting, or conspiring with one or more persons to
    violate a certain provision of this Act; and generally relating to benefits exploitation.
BY adding to
     Article – Criminal Law
     Section 8–524
     Annotated Code of Maryland
     (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
      SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
  Article – Criminal Law
8–524.
      (A)     (1)   IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.
  (2)   “COERCION” MEANS:
  (I)  1.  CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE BODILY HARM
TO AN INDIVIDUAL; OR
  2.   PHYSICALLY RESTRAINING OR CONFINING  OR
THREATENING TO PHYSICALLY RESTRAIN OR CONFINE AN INDIVIDUAL;
  (II)
  EXPOSING OR DISSEMINATING OR THREATENING TO
EXPOSE OR DISSEMINATE ANY FACT OR INFORMATION THAT WOULD TEND TO
SUBJECT AN INDIVIDUAL TO CRIMINAL OR IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS, HATRED,
CONTEMPT, OR RIDICULE;
  –1–
Ch. 663  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
  (III) DESTROYING, CONCEALING, REMOVING, CONFISCATING, OR
POSSESSING ANY ACTUAL OR PURPORTED PASSPORT OR OTHER IMMIGRATION
DOCUMENT, OR ANY OTHER ACTUAL OR PURPORTED GOVERNMENT IDENTIFICATION
DOCUMENT, OF AN INDIVIDUAL;
  (IV)
  PROVIDING A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE TO AN
INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPELLING THE INDIVIDUAL TO ENGAGE IN AN
ACTION AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL’S WILL;
  (V)
  CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE FINANCIAL HARM TO
AN INDIVIDUAL OR EXERTING FINANCIAL CONTROL OVER A DISABLED OR ELDERLY
ADULT; OR
  (VI)   DEPRIVING AN INDIVIDUAL OF MEDICAL CARE.
  (3) “CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE” HAS THE MEANING
STATED IN § 5–101 OF THIS ARTICLE.
  (4)   “DECEPTION” MEANS:
  (I)
  CREATING    OR   CONFIRMING     ANOTHER    PERSON’S
IMPRESSION OF AN EXISTING FACT OR PAST EVENT THAT IS FALSE AND THAT THE
ACCUSED KNOWS OR BELIEVES TO BE FALSE; OR
  (II) PROMISING BENEFITS OR THE PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES
THAT THE ACCUSED DOES NOT INTEND TO DELIVER OR PERFORM OR KNOWS WILL
NOT BE DELIVERED OR PERFORMED.
  (5)
  “EXPLOITATION” MEANS ILLEGALLY OR IMPROPERLY USING AN
INDIVIDUAL OR AN INDIVIDUAL’S GOVERNMENT BENEFITS THROUGH UNDUE
INFLUENCE, HARASSMENT, DURESS, FALSE REPRESENTATION, FALSE PRETENSE,
OR OTHER SIMILAR MEANS FOR PERSONAL PROFIT OR ADVANTAGE OR FOR THE
PROFIT OR ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER.
  (6)   “GOVERNMENT BENEFITS” INCLUDES:
  (I)    MEDICARE BENEFITS;
  (II)   MEDICAID BENEFITS;
  (III) TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF)
BENEFITS;
  –2–
  WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 663
  (IV) SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR
WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) BENEFITS;
  (V)       SUPPLEMENTAL    NUTRITION   ASSISTANCE   PROGRAM
(SNAP) BENEFITS;
  (VI)   SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS;
  (VII) SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (SSDI) BENEFITS;
  (VIII) VETERANS BENEFITS;
  (IX)   PENSION BENEFITS;
  (X)    TEMPORARY DISABILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TDAP)
BENEFITS; AND
  (XI)   PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TO ADULTS (PAA) BENEFITS.
  (7)“ISOLATION” MEANS PREVENTING AN INDIVIDUAL FROM HAVING
CONTACT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY, A WELFARE AGENCY, LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES
WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL’S
WISHES.
     (B)   (1) A PERSON MAY NOT, THROUGH DECEPTION, COERCION,
EXPLOITATION, ISOLATION, OR ANY OTHER MEANS OR ISOLATION, KNOWINGLY
RECRUIT, HARBOR, TRANSPORT, OR OBTAIN AN INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF
APPROPRIATING THE GOVERNMENT BENEFITS OF AN INDIVIDUAL FOR PERSONAL
BENEFIT OR TO BENEFIT ANOTHER.
  (2)   A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWINGLY BENEFIT FINANCIALLY OR BY
RECEIVING ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM PARTICIPATION IN A VENTURE THAT
VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION.
  (3) A PERSON MAY NOT AID, ABET, OR CONSPIRE WITH ONE OR MORE
PERSONS TO VIOLATE PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION.
     (C)   A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY
OF A FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING
25 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $15,000 OR BOTH
  (1)IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS LESS THAN $1,500, A PERSON WHO
  –3–
Ch. 663  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND ON
CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 1 YEAR OR A FINE NOT
EXCEEDING $500 OR BOTH.
  (2)  IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS AT LEAST $1,500 BUT LESS THAN
$25,000, A PERSON WHO VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A
FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 5
YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $10,000 OR BOTH.
  (3)  IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS AT LEAST $25,000, BUT LESS THAN
$100,000, A PERSON WHO VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A
FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 10
YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $15,000 OR BOTH.
  (4) IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS $100,000 OR MORE, A PERSON WHO
VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON
CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 20 YEARS OR A FINE
NOT EXCEEDING $25,000 OR BOTH.
     (D)   (1)EACH VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSIDERED A
SEPARATE OFFENSE.
  (2)   A SENTENCE IMPOSED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY BE SEPARATE
FROM AND CONSECUTIVE TO OR CONCURRENT WITH A SENTENCE FOR ANY CRIME
BASED ON THE ACT ESTABLISHING THE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
      SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2026.
Approved by the Governor, May 26, 2026.
  –4–