Winter Newsletter     
D ear Friends,  
   I would like to send along several announcements that I hope will be of interest to you; the Greater Bowie Democratic Club is hosting a 2018 MD General Assembly State Legislative Session Preview by District 23 Representatives, useful information related to the upcoming Maryland General Assembly, Scholarship opportunities, the new Smoke Detectors law, a Consumer Warning on Scammers Impersonate BGE, and job opportunities from the Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation. Details on all of these events are provided below.   
 
     Please feel free to share with others and as always, if you have additional questions or inquiries, feel free to contact me at   [email protected]   or call 301-858-3101 .
 
Sincerely,  
Geraldine Valentino-Smith
Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith
6 Bladen Street Room 427
Annapolis, MD  21401
301-858-3101/410-841-3101

 
 
 
Preview of the 2018 MD General Assembly State Legislative Session
 


 
 
 
Maryland General Assembly Useful Information  
 
     Legislation that has been "pre-filed" for the 2018 legislative session can now be viewed online.  House bills are available here   and Senate bills here. Many legislators' pre-file bills to get them into the public eye and, in some cases, get an earlier hearing date.  The fiscal note (the link to which can be found on the bill page) contains a clear explanation of what current law is in Maryland and what the bill would change as well as fiscal details on how much the bill would cost the state or local governments.   

     Before each legislative session, our non-partisan Department of Legislative Services releases issue papers exploring some of the topics that will come up during the 90 day session.  You can read the issue papers--or at least papers on the topics you are interested in here.
          
          


Scholarship Information
 
Delegate Scholarships from my office are available for constituents living in District 23A, who are attending or will be attending a Maryland undergraduate, graduate, or professional school during school year 2018-2019.  Even if you have already received my delegate scholarship YOU MUST RE-APPLY every year. You can print out an application at my web-site www.delegategeraldine.com  or contact me at [email protected]  and request one by email. Applications can be emailed, faxed (410-841-3294 or 301-858-3850) or mailed to my office Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith 6 Bladen Street Room 427 Annapolis, MD  21401.  Applications are due Friday, May 4, 2018 by 4:00pm.





 
The Excellence in Education Foundation Scholarship - Application Due 3-16-18
 
The Excellence in Education Foundation for PGCPS, Inc. is proud to announce for FY2018 the Foundation will award $161,500 in scholarships to 44 deserving PGCPS graduating seniors, as follows:
1.     Chief Executive Officer's (CEO) Scholarship  - $5,000 each to 5 PGCPS graduating seniors
 
2.     Culinary Arts Scholarship - $3,500 each to 3 PGCPS graduating seniors
 
3.     Leadership Scholarship - $3,500 each to 15 PGCPS graduating seniors
 
4.     Student Service Learning Scholarship - $3,500 each to 15 PGCPS graduating seniors
 
5.     Technical Scholarship - $3,500 each to 3 PGCPS graduating seniors
 
6.     Trade Scholarship - $3,500 each to 3 PGCPS graduating seniors
 
 FY2018 Scholarship Timeline      
 
Smoke-Detector Law
 
Maryland's new Smoke-Detector Law was signed in 2013 but goes in effect on January 1st. It requires homeowners to replace 9-volt battery operated smoke detectors with newer models that lasts a decade. The legislation updated the state's nearly 40-year-old law on fire protection.  The law calls for 10-year-old smoke detectors to be replaced. The date of manufacture, while sometimes hard to locate, should be printed on the back of smoke alarms. If no manufacture date is printed on your alarm, experts say it is likely outdated and should be replaced. The legislation does not affect homes with hard-wired smoke alarms. These newer models are readily available at many locations or online.

 
 
Consumer Alert: Hang Up! Scammers Impersonate BGE - Callers Falsely Claim Utilities Will be Shut Off if Payment is Not Made
 
Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today warned consumers to be wary of telephone calls that appear to be from Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE). The callers threaten to shut off power for non-
payment unless the consumer sends money.
 
"Scammers use threats and fear tactics to get you to hand over money and personal information," said Attorney General Frosh. "The best defense is to not answer the call, or just hang up!" BGE reports that scams and utility imposters are on the rise. Consumers are urged to verify the identity of BGE employees, and to take the following precautions:
 
- Hang up immediately
 
- Do not provide any personal information, credit card or bank account numbers, BGE account numbers or social security numbers
 
- Call BGE at 800-685-0123 to report a possible scam
 
- BGE representatives will never call you to ask for cash payment or personal information. If you have concerns about the status of your account, call BGE's Customer Service line at 1-800-685-0123.
 
If you believe you are the target of a phone scam, you may report the incident to the Office of Attorney General at 410-528-8662, or report suspicious activity to your local police
  
 
Prince George's County Economic  Development  Corporation Job Announcement
 
CMT Services Inc. is recruiting for (2) Administrative Aides. This is a 6 month contract assignment. Candidate must be a Prince George's County resident.   
 

By Authority of Friends For Geraldine Valentino-Smith, Elizabeth Ryan, Treasurer