An Act To Extend Term Limits
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0496
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: PARADIS, GAGNON, BROWN, CRAVEN, DUDLEY, DUPLESSIE, HOTHAM, MAKAS, MARLEY, PINEAU
Amends: 21-A MRSA §553

Legislative Document 
No. 496 
H.P.371 
House of Representatives, February 1,2005 
An Act To Extend Term Limits 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representati ve CAN A V AN of Waterville. 
'111~ /J7. 7!!1I£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representative PARADIS of Frenchville, Senator GAGNON of Kennebec and 
Representatives: BROWN of South Berwick, CRAVEN of Lewiston, DUDLEY of Portland, 
DUPLESSIE of Westbrook, HOTHAM of Dixfield, MAKAS of Lewiston, MARLEY of 
Portland, PINEAU of Jay. 
Prinr<d on m:yckd P"I'<T 
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, §1 and 
affected by §2, is amended to read: 
§553. Limitations on terms 
Notwithstanding 
any 
other 
prov~s~on of 
law, 
consecutive 
terms in office are limited as follows. 
1. 
State Senate. 
A person may not serve more than -4-
Q 
consecutive terms as a state Senator. 
4-
2. 
State Representative. 
Q consecutive 
terms 
as 
a 
A person may not serve more than 
member 
of 
the state House 
of 
Representatives. 
3. 
Secretary of State. 
A person may not serve more than 4 
consecutive terms as Secretary of State. 
4. 
Treasurer of State. 
A person may not serve more than 4 
consecutive terms as Treasurer of State. 
5. 
Attorney General. 
A person may not serve more than 4 
consecutive terms as Attorney General. 
6. 
State Auditor. 
A person may not serve more than 2 
consecutive terms as State Auditor. 
This section applies to terms of office that begin on or 
after December 3, 1996 except that beginning with December 1, 
2008, a person may not serve more than 6 consecutive terms as a 
state 
Senator 
or 
as 
a 
member 
of 
the 
state 
House 
of 
Representatives. 
Sec. 2. Statutory referendum procedure: submission at statewide 
election; form of question; effective date. 
This Act must be submitted 
to the 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 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: 
"Do 
you 
favor 
increasing 
term 
limits 
to 
years 
for 
Legislators?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall 
vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a 
cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below 
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 
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. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each 
city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this 
Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
SUMMARY 
This bill extends the number of years of service 
under the term limits law from 8 to 12 for Legislators. 
also requires that the voters of the State vote on this 
the statewide election held in the year 2005. 
authorized 
The bill 
matter at