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*sb0140*
SENATE BILL 140
E1 (6lr0931)
ENROLLED BILL
— Judicial Proceedings/Judiciary —
Introduced by Senator West
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
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 participa tion 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
2 SENATE BILL 140
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Criminal Law 3
8–524. 4
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 5
INDICATED. 6
(2) “COERCION” MEANS: 7
(I) 1. CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE BODILY H ARM 8
TO AN INDIVIDUAL; OR 9
2. PHYSICALLY RESTRAINI NG OR CONFINING OR 10
THREATENING TO PHYSICALLY RESTRAIN OR CONFINE AN INDIVIDUAL; 11
(II) EXPOSING OR DISSEMIN ATING OR THREATENING TO 12
EXPOSE OR DISSEMINAT E ANY FACT OR INFORM ATION THAT WOULD TEN D TO 13
SUBJECT AN INDIVIDUAL TO CRIMINAL OR IMM IGRATION PROCEEDINGS, HATRED, 14
CONTEMPT, OR RIDICULE; 15
(III) DESTROYING, CONCEALING, REMOVING, CONFISCATING, OR 16
POSSESSING ANY ACTUA L OR PURPORTED PASSP ORT OR OTHER IMMIGRA TION 17
DOCUMENT, OR ANY OTHER ACTUAL OR PURPORTED GOVERNMENT IDENTIFICATION 18
DOCUMENT, OF AN INDIVIDUAL; 19
(IV) PROVIDING A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE TO AN 20
INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPELLING THE INDIVIDUAL TO ENGAGE IN AN 21
ACTION AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL’S WILL; 22
(V) CAUSING OR THREATENING TO CAUSE FINANCIAL HARM TO 23
AN INDIVIDUAL OR EXERTING FINANCIAL CONTROL OVER A DISABLED OR ELDERLY 24
ADULT; OR 25
(VI) DEPRIVING AN INDIVIDUAL OF MEDICAL CARE. 26
(3) “CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE” HAS THE MEANING 27
STATED IN § 5–101 OF THIS ARTICLE. 28
(4) “DECEPTION” MEANS: 29
SENATE BILL 140 3
(I) CREATING OR CONFIRMI NG ANOTHER PERSON ’S 1
IMPRESSION OF AN EXI STING FACT OR PAST E VENT THAT IS FALSE AND THAT THE 2
ACCUSED KNOWS OR BELIEVES TO BE FALSE; OR 3
(II) PROMISING BENEFITS OR THE PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES 4
THAT THE ACCUSED DOES NOT INTEND TO DELI VER OR PERFORM OR KN OWS WILL 5
NOT BE DELIVERED OR PERFORMED. 6
(5) “EXPLOITATION” MEANS ILLEGALLY OR IMPR OPERLY USING AN 7
INDIVIDUAL OR AN IND IVIDUAL’S GOVERNMENT BENEFIT S THROUGH UNDUE 8
INFLUENCE, HARASSMENT, DURESS, FALSE REPRESENTATION , FALSE PRETENSE , 9
OR OTHER SIMILAR MEA NS FOR PERSONAL PROF IT OR ADVANTAGE OR F OR THE 10
PROFIT OR ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER. 11
(6) “GOVERNMENT BENEFITS” INCLUDES: 12
(I) MEDICARE BENEFITS; 13
(II) MEDICAID BENEFITS; 14
(III) TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) 15
BENEFITS; 16
(IV) SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR 17
WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) BENEFITS; 18
(V) SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 19
(SNAP) BENEFITS; 20
(VI) SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS; 21
(VII) SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (SSDI) BENEFITS; 22
(VIII) VETERANS BENEFITS; 23
(IX) PENSION BENEFITS; 24
(X) TEMPORARY DISABILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TDAP) 25
BENEFITS; AND 26
(XI) PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TO ADULTS (PAA) BENEFITS. 27
(7) “ISOLATION” MEANS PREVENTING AN INDIVIDUAL FROM HAVING 28
CONTACT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY , A WELFARE AGENCY , LAW ENFORCEMENT 29
4 SENATE BILL 140
OFFICERS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDER S, OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES 1
WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDG E OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR AGAINST THE INDIV IDUAL’S 2
WISHES. 3
(B) (1) A PERSON MAY NOT , THROUGH DECEPTION , COERCION, 4
EXPLOITATION, ISOLATION, OR ANY OTHER MEANS OR ISOLATION , KNOWINGLY 5
RECRUIT, HARBOR, TRANSPORT, OR OBTAIN AN INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF 6
APPROPRIATING THE GO VERNMENT BENEFITS OF AN INDIVIDUAL FOR PE RSONAL 7
BENEFIT OR TO BENEFIT ANOTHER. 8
(2) A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWI NGLY BENEFIT FINANCI ALLY OR BY 9
RECEIVING ANYTHING O F VALUE FROM PARTICI PATION IN A VENTURE THA T 10
VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 11
(3) A PERSON MAY NOT AID, ABET, OR CONSPIRE WITH ONE OR MORE 12
PERSONS TO VIOLATE PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 13
(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY 14
OF A FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 15
25 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $15,000 OR BOTH 16
(1) IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR 17
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS LESS THAN $1,500, A PERSON WHO 18
VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS G UILTY OF A MISDEMEAN OR AND ON 19
CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 1 YEAR OR A FINE NOT 20
EXCEEDING $500 OR BOTH. 21
(2) IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR 22
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS AT LEAST $1,500 BUT LESS THAN 23
$25,000, A PERSON WHO VIOLATE S A PROVISION OF THI S SECTION IS GUILTY OF A 24
FELONY AND ON CONVIC TION IS SUBJECT TO I MPRISONMENT NOT EXCE EDING 5 25
YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $10,000 OR BOTH. 26
(3) IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR 27
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS AT LEAST $25,000, BUT LESS THAN 28
$100,000, A PERSON WHO VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A 29
FELONY AND ON CONVIC TION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISO NMENT NOT EXCEEDING 10 30
YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $15,000 OR BOTH. 31
(4) IF THE AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE MONEY OR OTHER GOODS OR 32
SERVICES GOVERNMENT BENEFITS INVOLVED IS $100,000 OR MORE, A PERSON WHO 33
VIOLATES A PROVISION OF THIS SECTION IS G UILTY OF A FELONY AN D ON 34
CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NO T EXCEEDING 20 YEARS OR A FINE 35
NOT EXCEEDING $25,000 OR BOTH. 36
SENATE BILL 140 5
(D) (1) EACH VIOLATION OF THI S SECTION SHA LL BE CONSIDERED A 1
SEPARATE OFFENSE. 2
(2) A SENTENCE IMPOSED UND ER THIS SECTION MAY BE SEPARATE 3
FROM AND CONSECUTIVE TO OR CONCURRENT WIT H A SENTENCE FOR ANY CRIME 4
BASED ON THE ACT ESTABLISHING THE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHE R ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 6
October 1, 2026. 7
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.