---
type: "Bill"
title: "Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation"
description: "Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 140"
citation: "Maryland SB 140 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["West"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 16
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-09-23"
last_action: "2026-05-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dd15f3d8-7bf4-4240-a535-e13309254972"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0140?ys=2026RS"
source_hash: "f92d75af6ccbd86c3fbe1ca19df041c1d6e5e72a2e182b2727bddb8cd08ba6a8"
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 SB 140 (2026) — Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_663_sb0140e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0140e.pdf)
3. **First - Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0140f.pdf)
4. **Third - Criminal Law - Benefits Exploitation** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0140t.pdf)

## Votes

- Bill is on Third Reading for Final Passage. — **42–0** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **132–0** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading — **44–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- West — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-09-23** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2026-01-14** First Reading Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-13** Hearing 1/20 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2026-03-09** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-10** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-10** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2026-03-12** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Referred Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-06** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-06** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-06** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2026-04-08** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-04-09** Senate Concurs House Amendments
- **2026-04-09** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-04-09** Passed Enrolled
- **2026-05-26** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 663 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dd15f3d8-7bf4-4240-a535-e13309254972`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).