---
type: "Bill"
title: "Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Theft of Benefits (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)"
description: "Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Theft of Benefits (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 502"
citation: "Maryland HB 502 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["R. Lewis", "Watson"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 15
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-01-30"
last_action: "2023-04-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7bc024a5-31a5-4a52-a1b2-7292bbe247a9"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0502?ys=2023RS&search=True"
source_hash: "578d59c197cb419b846e44fee0581959d109c8bffbb403dff96414a1e9a3b138"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland HB 502 (2023) — Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Theft of Benefits (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Theft of Benefits (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/Chapters_noln/CH_172_hb0502e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Theft of Benefits (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/hb/hb0502e.pdf)
3. **First - Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Fraud (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/hb/hb0502f.pdf)
4. **Third - Department of Human Services - Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards - Theft of Benefits (Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/hb/hb0502t.pdf)

## Sponsors

- R. Lewis — primary (person)
- Watson — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-01-30** First Reading Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-02** Hearing 2/21 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2023-03-16** Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-17** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-17** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2023-03-20** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-03-20** Referred Finance `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-05** Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-05** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-05** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2023-04-06** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-04-08** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2023-04-08** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-04-08** Passed Enrolled
- **2023-04-24** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 172 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7bc024a5-31a5-4a52-a1b2-7292bbe247a9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).