Maine State Legislature

Maine's part-time Legislature is composed of a Senate (35 members) and a House of Representatives (151 members); members of both Houses are elected for two-year terms and are limited to four consecutive terms.  The Maine House also has three non-voting members representing the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.  The Legislature meets annually in regular session.  The first regular session convenes on the first Wednesday in December after the general election with a statutory adjournment date of the 3rd Wednesday in June; the second regular session is convened on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January of the subsequent even-numbered year with a statutory adjournment date of the 3rd Wednesday in April.  Each regular session may be extended, statutorily by two 5-day extensions and a veto day.  The Legislature may be convened at other times by the Governor and may be convened on call of the presiding officers of both branches with the consent of a majority of the members of the Legislature of each political party. Parliamentary procedure resembles that in use throughout the country.  Maine is one of three states in the Union to use the joint standing committee system.