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*hb0216*
HOUSE BILL 216
E1 6lr0930
HB 187/25 – JUD (PRE–FILED) CF SB 140
By: Delegates Kaufman, Fair, Feldmark, Pena –Melnyk, and Tomlinson
Tomlinson, Cardin, Phillips, Stinnett, Simmons, McComas, Moreno, Arikan,
Taylor, Simpson, Moon, Conaway, and Woods
Requested: September 23, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Law – Benefits Exploitation 2
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from knowingly recruiting, harboring, 3
transporting, or obtaining an individual for the purpose of appropriating the 4
government benefits of an individual for the benefit of the person or another by 5
certain means; prohibiting a person from knowingly benefitting in a certain manner 6
from participation in a venture that violates a certain provision of this Act; 7
prohibiting a person from aiding, abetting, or conspiring with one or more persons to 8
violate a certain provision of this Act; and generally relating to benefits exploitation. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Criminal Law 11
Section 8–524 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Criminal Law 17
8–524. 18
2 HOUSE BILL 216
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(2) “COERCION” MEANS: 3
(I) 1. CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE BODILY H ARM 4
TO AN INDIVIDUAL; OR 5
2. PHYSICALLY RESTRAINI NG OR CONFINING OR 6
THREATENING TO PHYSICALLY RESTRAIN OR CONFINE AN INDIVIDUAL; 7
(II) EXPOSING OR DISSEM INATING OR THREATENI NG TO 8
EXPOSE OR DISSEMINAT E ANY FACT OR INFORM ATION THAT WOULD TEN D TO 9
SUBJECT AN INDIVIDUAL TO CRIMINAL OR IMM IGRATION PROCEEDINGS, HATRED, 10
CONTEMPT, OR RIDICULE; 11
(III) DESTROYING, CONCEALING, REMOVING, CONFISCATING, OR 12
POSSESSING ANY ACTUAL OR PURPOR TED PASSPORT OR OTHE R IMMIGRATION 13
DOCUMENT, OR ANY OTHER ACTUAL OR PURPORTED GOVERNMENT IDENTIFICATION 14
DOCUMENT, OF AN INDIVIDUAL; 15
(IV) PROVIDING A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE TO AN 16
INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPELLING THE INDIVIDUAL TO ENGAGE IN AN 17
ACTION AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL’S WILL; 18
(V) CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE FINANCIAL HARM TO 19
AN INDIVIDUAL OR EXERTING FINANCIAL CONTROL OVER A DISABLED OR ELDERLY 20
ADULT; OR 21
(VI) DEPRIVING AN INDIVIDUAL OF MEDICAL CARE. 22
(3) “CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE” HAS THE MEANING 23
STATED IN § 5–101 OF THIS ARTICLE. 24
(4) “DECEPTION” MEANS: 25
(I) CREATING OR CONFIRMI NG ANOTHER PERSON ’S 26
IMPRESSION OF AN EXI STING FACT OR PAST E VENT THAT IS FALSE A ND THAT THE 27
ACCUSED KNOWS OR BELIEVES TO BE FALSE; OR 28
(II) PROMISING BENEFITS OR THE PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES 29
THAT THE ACCUSED DOES NOT INTEND TO DELI VER OR PERFORM OR KN OWS WILL 30
NOT BE DELIVERED OR PERFORMED. 31
HOUSE BILL 216 3
(5) “EXPLOITATION” MEANS ILLEGALLY OR I MPROPERLY USING AN 1
INDIVIDUAL OR A N INDIVIDUAL ’S GOVERNMENT BENEFIT S THROUGH UNDUE 2
INFLUENCE, HARASSMENT, DURESS, FALSE REPRESENTATION , FALSE PRETENSE , 3
OR OTHER SIMILAR MEA NS FOR PERSONAL PROF IT OR ADVANTAGE OR F OR THE 4
PROFIT OR ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER. 5
(6) “GOVERNMENT BENEFITS” INCLUDES: 6
(I) MEDICARE BENEFITS; 7
(II) MEDICAID BENEFITS; 8
(III) TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) 9
BENEFITS; 10
(IV) SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR 11
WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) BENEFITS; 12
(V) SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 13
(SNAP) BENEFITS; 14
(VI) SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS; 15
(VII) SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (SSDI) BENEFITS; 16
(VIII) VETERANS BENEFITS; 17
(IX) PENSION BENEFITS; 18
(X) TEMPORARY DISABILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TDAP) 19
BENEFITS; AND 20
(XI) PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TO ADULTS (PAA) BENEFITS. 21
(7) “ISOLATION” MEANS PREVENTING AN INDIVIDUAL FROM HAVING 22
CONTACT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY , A WELFARE AGENCY , LAW ENFORCEMENT 23
OFFICERS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDER S, OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES 24
WITHOUT THE K NOWLEDGE OF THE INDI VIDUAL OR AGAINST TH E INDIVIDUAL ’S 25
WISHES. 26
(B) (1) A PERSON MAY NOT , THROUGH DECEPTION , COERCION, 27
EXPLOITATION, ISOLATION, OR ANY OTHER MEANS OR ISOLATION , KNOWINGLY 28
RECRUIT, HARBOR, TRANSPORT, OR OBTAIN AN INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF 29
4 HOUSE BILL 216
APPROPRIATING THE GO VERNMENT BENEFITS OF AN INDIVIDUAL FOR PE RSONAL 1
BENEFIT OR TO BENEFIT ANOTHER. 2
(2) A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWI NGLY BENEFIT FINANCI ALLY OR BY 3
RECEIVING ANYT HING OF VALUE FROM P ARTICIPATION IN A VE NTURE THAT 4
VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 5
(3) A PERSON MAY NOT AID, ABET, OR CONSPIRE WITH ONE OR MORE 6
PERSONS TO VIOLATE PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 7
(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY 8
OF A FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 9
25 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $15,000 OR BOTH. 10
(1) IF THE AGGREGATE VALU E OF THE GOVERNMENT BENEFITS 11
INVOLVED IS LESS THA N $1,500, A PERSON WHO VIOLATE S A PROVISION OF THIS 12
SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJEC T TO 13
IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 1 YEAR OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $500 OR BOTH. 14
(2) IF THE AGGREGATE VALU E OF THE GOVERNMENT BENEFITS 15
INVOLVED IS AT LEAST $1,500 BUT LESS THAN $25,000, A PERSON WHO VIOLATES A 16
PROVISION OF THIS SE CTION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONVIC TION IS 17
SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 5 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING 18
$10,000 OR BOTH. 19
(3) IF THE AGGREGATE VALU E OF THE GOVERNMENT BENEFITS 20
INVOLVED IS AT LEAST $25,000 BUT LESS THAN $100,000, A PERSON WHO VIOLATES 21
A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONV ICTION IS 22
SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 10 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING 23
$15,000 OR BOTH. 24
(4) IF THE AGGREGATE VALU E OF THE GOVERNMENT BENEF ITS 25
INVOLVED IS $100,000 OR MORE, A PERSON WHO VIOLATE S A PROVISION OF THI S 26
SECTION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONV ICTION IS SUBJECT TO 27
IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 20 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $25,000 OR 28
BOTH. 29
(D) (1) EACH VIOLA TION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSIDERED A 30
SEPARATE OFFENSE. 31
(2) A SENTENCE IMPOSED UND ER THIS SECTION MAY BE SEPARATE 32
FROM AND CONSECUTIVE TO OR CONCURRENT WIT H A SENTENCE FOR ANY CRIME 33
BASED ON THE ACT ESTABLISHING THE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 34
HOUSE BILL 216 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.