An Act To Extend Term Limits
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1273
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: PINGREE, GAGNON, BLANCHETTE, CANAVAN, CLARK, FISCHER, MILLS, RICHARDSON, HATCH, MAYO
Amends: 21-A MRSA §553

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1273 
H.P.945 
House of Representatives, March 11,2003 
An Act To Extend Term Limits 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative PINGREE of North Haven. 
Cosponsored by Senator GAGNON of Kennebec and 
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/f7.11!dC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BLANCHETTE of Bangor, CANAVAN of Waterville, CLARK of 
Millinocket, FISCHER of Presque Isle, MILLS of Cornville, RICHARDSON of Brunswick, 
Senators: HATCH of Somerset, MAYO of Sagadahoc. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §553, as enacted by IB 1993, c. 1, §l and 
~ 
affected by §2, is amended to read: 
/, 
§553. Limitations on terms 
H 
Notwithstanding 
any 
other provision of 
law, 
consecutive 
terms in office are limited as follows. 
1. 
State Senate. 
A person may not serve more than - 4-
Q 
L~ 
consecutive terms as a state Senator. 
2. 
State Representative. 
than -4-
Q consecutive terms as 
A person may 
not 
serve 
more 
a member of the state House of 
Lh 
Representatives. 
I " " 
'(1 
3. 
Secretary of State. 
A person 
may 
not 
serve 
more 
than -4- Q consecutive terms as Secretary of State. 
4. 
Treasurer of State. 
A person 
may 
not 
serve 
more 
than -4- Q consecutive terms as Treasurer of State. 
:c± 
5. 
Attorney General. 
A person may not serve more than -4-
Q consecutive terms as Attorney General. 
6. 
State Auditor. 
A person may not serve more than -~-
} 
~8 
consecutive terms as State Auditor. 
\U 
This section applies to terms of office that begin on or 
after December 
~ ~, 1999 2004. 
Sec. 2. Statutory referendum procedure; submission at statewide 
J4 
election: form of question; effective date. 
This Act takes effect when 
approved only for the purpose of permitting its submission to the 
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legal voters of the State at a statewide election held on the 
Tuesday following the first Monday of November following passage 
of this Act. 
The municipal officers of this State shall notify 
the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations 
W 
to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide 
election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by 
voting on the following question: 
<.1A 
"Do you favor increasing term limits to 12 years for elected 
officials and constitutional officers?" 
The legal 
vote by ballot 
cross or check 
voters of each city, town and plantation shall 
on this question and designate their choice by a 
mark placed wi thin a corresponding square below 
Page l-LRll06(1) 
the word "Yes" or "No." 
The ballots must be received, sorted, 
counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings 
and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as 
,I 
votes for members of the Legislature. 
The Governor shall review 
the returns and, if it appears that a majority of the legal votes 
are cast in favor of the Act, the Governor shall proclaim that 
fact without delay, and the Act takes effect 30 days after the 
date of the proclamation. 
I (I 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each 
city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this 
L': 
Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
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SUMMARY 
This bill extends the number of years of service authorized 
I" 
under the term limits law from 
to 12 for Legislators, the 
Secretary of State, 
the Treasurer of State and the Attorney 
" 
General and from 8 to 12 for the State Auditor. 
The bill also 
requires that the voters of the State vote on this matter at the 
statewide election held in the year 2003.