HB 187 creates a new criminal offense in Maryland law for “benefits exploitation.” The bill prohibits a person from knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting, or obtaining an individual in order to appropriate that individual’s government benefits for the person’s own benefit or the benefit of another. It also prohibits knowingly profiting from participation in such a venture and prohibits aiding, abetting, or conspiring to commit the offense.
The bill defines key terms broadly. “Coercion” includes threats or acts of bodily harm, confinement, exposure of sensitive information, withholding immigration documents or government identification, providing controlled dangerous substances to compel conduct, financial harm or control over a disabled or elderly adult, and depriving a person of medical care. “Exploitation” is defined as illegally or improperly using a person or their government benefits through undue influence, harassment, duress, false representation, false pretenses, or similar means for profit or advantage. “Government benefits” includes programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TANF, WIC, SNAP, Social Security, SSDI, veterans benefits, pensions, TDAP, and PAA.
A violation is a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Each violation is a separate offense, and a conviction under this section may not merge with a conviction for any other crime based on the same act. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and would add a new section, § 8-524, to the Criminal Law Article.
The overall sentiment appears supportive of the bill’s anti-exploitation purpose, as reflected by the list of sponsoring delegates and the bill’s passage through the House. No committee transcript or recorded vote details were provided, so there is no direct evidence of floor debate or formal opposition in the supplied materials.
The main point of potential contention is the breadth of the new offense and its definitions. The bill reaches conduct involving deception, coercion, isolation, and financial control, and it covers a wide range of public benefits and vulnerable populations, including disabled and elderly adults. Those broad terms may raise questions about proof, scope, and overlap with existing fraud, theft, abuse, or trafficking laws, even though the bill is aimed at preventing misuse of public benefits.
HB 187 would add a new felony offense to the Maryland Criminal Law Article targeting the exploitation of an individual’s government benefits. It expands state criminal law by creating liability not only for direct recruitment, harboring, transportation, or obtaining of a person for benefit theft, but also for financial participation, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy. The bill would affect prosecutors, defendants, and victims connected to public benefits misuse, especially cases involving vulnerable adults, disabled individuals, and people subject to coercion or isolation.
The bill appears to have a generally favorable reception based on its introduction by a large group of delegates and its advancement in the House. The available record does not include committee testimony or vote tallies, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the provided materials. Overall, the measure reads as a public-protection and anti-fraud bill with a punitive enforcement approach.
The likely areas of contention are the bill’s broad definitions and severe penalty structure. Critics could question whether terms like “exploitation,” “isolation,” and “coercion” are expansive enough to capture conduct beyond classic fraud or trafficking, and whether the 25-year maximum sentence is proportionate. The inclusion of financial control over disabled or elderly adults, deprivation of medical care, and a long list of benefits programs may also prompt debate about overlap with existing abuse, elder exploitation, and benefits fraud statutes.