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 Abbreviations & Terms
Legislator Term Limits
Updated through the 130th Legislature

Introduction

In 1993, the Legislature enacted term limits for presiding officers and leadership positions (see PL 1993, c. 403 and c. 411). Term limits on all legislators, constitutional officers, and the state auditor were enacted by citizen initiative later that year (IB 1993, c. 1). These laws are codified in 21-A MRS §551 to 554.      

This legislative history includes legislation proposing, enacting, amending, or abolishing term limits since 1961.



Session Law / LD:  

Year  LD Amendments Final
Disposition		 Legislative Record
Debate & Remarks
 Other Documents & News Clips Full LD
History
1979 LD 1048

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Limit Maine Senators to not More than Five Consecutive Two-year Terms, and to Limit Maine Representatives to not More than Five Consecutive Two-year Terms		 N/A Leave to withdraw No debate. N/A N/A
1983 LD 410

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Limit Maine Senators to not More than Five Consecutive Two-Year Terms, and to Limit Maine Representatives to not More than Five Consecutive Two-Year Terms		 N/A ONTP House, February 22, 1983
p. 190-191		 N/A Yes
1989 LD 1014

An Act Concerning the Number of Terms Which a Legislator May Serve Consecutively in Either Chamber		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1989 LD 1259

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Increase the Availability of Legislative Participation		 N/A ONTP House, May 25, 1989
p. 967-968		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1991 LD 182

An Act to Limit Certain Terms of Office		 Proposed amendment:

S-101		 ONTP House, April 30, 1991
p. H-617-H-618		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1991 LD 1044

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Increase the Availability of Legislative Participation		 Proposed amendment:

H-319		 Died between houses House, May 20, 1991
p. H-801-H-804

Senate, May 22, 1991
p. S-841-S-843		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1993 LD 502

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Modify Terms of Office for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1993 LD 559

An Act to Impose Term Limits on Presiding Officers of the Legislature		 Enacted with amendment:

S-141		 PL 1993, c. 403 House, May 24, 1993
p. H-875-H-877

Senate, June 14, 1993
p. S-1129		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1993 LD 692

An Act to Limit to 4 the Number of Consecutive Terms a Legislator May Serve		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1993 LD 742

An Act Imposing Term Limits on Legislative Leadership Positions		 Enacted with amendment:

H-364

Proposed amendment:

H-673		 PL 1993, c. 411 House, May 24, 1993
p. H-877-H-878

Senate, May 25, 1993
p. S-769		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1993 LD 751

An Act to Impose Term Limitations on Legislators, Constitutional Officers and the State Auditor		 N/A IB 1993, c. 1

Approved at referendum:

Nov. 2, 1993

Yes: 159,785
No:  76,732		 House, March 10, 1993
p. H-249-H-252

House, April 27, 1993
p. H-539-H-542

Senate, July 1, 1993
p. S-1208-S-1209		 Court Opinion:  Opinion of the Justices, 623 A.2d 1258 (Me. 1993)

Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1993 LD 768

An Act to Establish Term Limitations for Presiding Officers, Leadership and Committee Chairs		 Proposed amendment:

S-165		 ONTP Senate, June 14, 1993
p. S-1130		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1993 LD 795

An Act to Limit the Terms of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1993 LD 910

An Act to Limit Terms of State Office Holders		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1993 LD 1179

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Limit Terms of Certain State Office Holders.		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1993 LD 1442

An Act to Distribute the Power and Privilege of Serving in Elected Office		 Proposed amendments:

H-548
H-598		 ONTP House, June 3, 1993
p. H-1095-H-1096

Senate, June 3, 1993
p. S-977-S-979		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1994 LD 691

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Increase the Availability of Legislative Participation		 Proposed amendment:

S-391		 ONTP Senate, February 8, 1993
p. H-1406-H-1408

House, February 10, 1993
p. H-1549-H-1550		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1994 LD 1527

An Act to Impose Limits on the Terms of Legislators, Constitutional Officers, Members of the Judiciary and Members of Congress and to Limit Lobbying in Successive Years		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1995 LD 378

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Provide for 4- year Terms for Senators		 Proposed amendment:

S-25		 Died between houses No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1997 LD 209

An Act to Increase Term Limits to 12 Years for Elected Officials and Constitutional Officers		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1999 LD 679

An Act to Submit Legislative Term Limits to Referendum in November 1999		 N/A ONTP House, February 3, 1999
p. H-158-H-159		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1999 LD 904

An Act to Provide Term Limits for the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives		 N/A Not properly before body House, March 2, 1999
p. H-254-H-258		 N/A Yes
1999 LD 1036

An Act to Repeal Term Limits for Legislators and Constitutional Officers		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1999 LD 1078

An Act to Extend Term Limits for Elected Officials and Constitutional Officers		 Proposed amendments:

H-707
S-262
S-438		 Died in concurrence Senate, May 11, 1999
p. S-914-S-917

House, May 27, 1999
p. H-1440-H-1449

House, June 3, 1999
p. H-1557-H-1567		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2000 LD 1001

An Act to Repeal Term Limits		 N/A ONTP House, February 4, 1999
p. H-164

House, May 27, 1999
p. H-1446		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2001 LD 901

An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Term Limits		 Proposed amendments:

H-286     H-690
H-287     H-692
H-674     H-703
H-677     H-709
H-686		 Died between houses House, May 31, 2001
p. H-1156-H-1159

House, June 5, 2001
p. H-1220-H-1222

House, June 5, 2001
p. H-1258

House, June 7, 2001
p. H-1321-H-1332

House, June 11, 2001
p. H-1376-H-1377		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2002 LD 1340

An Act to Hold an Advisory Referendum on Term Limits		 Proposed amendments:

H-817
H-854		 Indefinitely postponed No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2003 LD 935

An Act To Abolish Term Limits for Legislators		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2003 LD 1273

An Act To Extend Term Limits		 Proposed amendments:

H-442     S-305
H-509     S-308
H-510     S-314
H-544     S-316
H-597		 Died between houses House, June 2, 2003
p. H-879-H-886

Senate, June 13, 2003
p. S-1006-S-1008

Senate, June 14, 2003
p. S-1012-S-1013		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2003 LD 1284

An Act To Extend Term Limits from 8 Years to 14 Years		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2005 LD 291

An Act To Extend Term Limits		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2005 LD 572

An Act To Eliminate Term Limits in the Legislature		 Proposed amendments:

H-627
S-278
S-307		 Died between houses Senate, May 31, 2005
p. S-1031-S-1033

House, June 1, 2005
p. H-800-H-806

House, June 2, 2005
p. H-831		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2005 LD 1111

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Provide 4-year Terms for Senators and Representatives and To Increase Term Limits to 12 Years		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2006 LD 496

An Act To Extend Term Limits		 Proposed amendments:

H-729
H-733
H-811
S-433		 Died between houses House, March 23, 2006
p.  H-1347-H-1349

 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2007 LD 42

An Act To Repeal Term Limits for Legislators		 Proposed amendment:

S-167		 Indefinitely postponed House, June 4, 2007
p. H-658-H-659		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2007 LD 854

An Act To Extend Term Limits for the House of Representatives		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2007 LD 1550

An Act To Amend the Term Limitation Laws for State Legislators		 Proposed amendment:

H-506		 Died between houses No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2007 LD 1928

An Act To Extend from 4 to 6 Terms the Limits on Legislative Terms		 N/A Not approved at referendum:

Nov. 6, 2007

Yes: 88,832
No:  181,588

 House, June 19, 2007
p. H-868

Senate, June 19, 2007
p. S-1132		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2009 LD 31

An Act To Amend the Legislative Term Limit Laws		 Proposed amendment:

H-136		 ONTP Senate, May 19, 2009
p. S-701-S-702		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2011 LD 113

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Provide 4-year Terms and a Term Limit of 2 Terms for Legislators		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2011 LD 780

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Limit the Number of Terms Served in Total		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2015 LD 182

An Act To Eliminate Term Limits for Legislators		 Proposed amendment:

H-140		 ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2017 LD 1007

Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Increase the Lengths of Terms and Decrease the Number of Terms of Members of the Legislature		 Proposed amendment:

H-86		 ONTP House, May 4, 2017
p. H-439-H-441		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2019 LD 1462

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Provide 4-year Terms for Senators and To Set Term Limits for Legislators		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2021 LD 321

An Act To Limit State Legislators to a Lifetime Total of 16 Years of Legislative Service		 Proposed amendment:

H-70		 ONTP Senate, April 28, 2021
p. S-449-S-450		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2021 LD 1670

Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Study and Recommend Solutions for Modernizing the Maine Legislature		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes