Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland SB140: Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation
Status: Signed into law, May 26, 2026
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 through deception, coercion, exploitation, or isolation; prohibiting a person from aiding, abetting, or conspiring with one or more persons to violate a certain provision of the Act; imposing certain penalties based on the aggregate value of the government benefits involved in the violation; etc.
What the bill says
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…
From the enrolled text, June 3, 2026:
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; Ch. 663 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND (III) DESTROYING, CONCEALING, …