Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation
Sponsor: Chris West (District 42)Committee: Judicial ProceedingsSubject: Criminal Law - Substantive CrimesStatus: Hearing 1/21 at 2:30 p.m. (as of Dec 1, 2025)
What this bill does
Official synopsis
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, isolation, or any other means; prohibiting a person from aiding, abetting, or conspiring with one or more persons to violate a certain provision of the Act; establishing that a violation of the Act is a felony; etc.
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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.
Testimony (0)
MGA witness listFAV 13FavorableUNF 1UnfavorableINFO 1Information only
| Position | Witness | Organization | Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAV | Peters, Meganlobbyist | Alzheimer's Association | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Miicke, Sarahlobbyist | Baltimore Jewish Council | Position only |
| FAV | Government Affairs, Rachel Sledge | Department of Human Services | Position only |
| FAV | Miicke, Sarahlobbyist | MSCAN | Position only |
| FAV | Roques, Carmel | Maryland Department of Aging | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Rodriguez, Amanda | Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force/ TurnAround, Inc. | Oral |
| FAV | Themelis, Nina | Mayor's Office of Government Relations | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Sledge, Rachel | Md. Department of Human Services | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Proctor, Karessa | NASW Maryland | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | West, Christopher | Senator Chris West | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Kaplowitz, Richard KAP | Year | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Bickoff, Alicia | Individual | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Senator West, Senator Westlegislator | Individual | Oral |
| UNF | Hilliard, Elizabeth | Maryland Office of the Public Defender | Written (PDF) |
| INFO | Vormelker, Will | Maryland Judiciary | Written (PDF) |