An Act To Extend Term Limits
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0291
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: BISHOP, MILLS, MAYO, HOTHAM, PATRICK, SA VIELLO, DOW

Legislative Document 
No. 291 
H.P.216 
House of Representatives, January 18,2005 
An Act To Extend Term Limits 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BISHOP of Boothbay. 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Senator MILLS of Somerset, Senator MAYO of Sagadahoc and 
Representatives: HOTHAM of Dixfield, PATRICK of Rumford, SA VIELLO of Wilton, 
Senator: DOW of Lincoln. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 2I·A MRSA §553, as enacted by IB 1993, c. 1, §l 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- n 
consecutive terms as a state Senator. 
2. 
State Representative. 
than -4-
Q consecutive terms as 
Representatives. 
A person may 
not 
serve 
more 
a member of the state House of 
3. 
Secretary of 
than -4- Q consecutive 
4. 
Treasurer of 
than -4- Q consecutive 
State. 
terms as 
State. 
terms as 
A 
person 
may 
not 
serve 
more 
Secretary of State. 
A person 
may 
not 
serve 
more 
Treasurer of State. 
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 -~-
consecutive terms as State Auditor. 
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afteF-QeeemaeF-~T-199~T 
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 12 years for elected 
officials and constitutional officers?" 
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 
Page l-LR0374(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 
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 authorized 
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 to be held in the year 2005.