As term limits began to take effect starting in the late 1990s, many of their impacts on the legislative institution have been negative. Indeed, term limits have presented challenges for legislatures that wish to remain strong and effective institutions. However, legislatures are dynamic bodies, and they have made many adaptations to cope with these challenges. These can be explored through NCSL's publication: Coping With Term Limits, A Practical Guide.
Legislative term limits have been ruled unconstitutional by the courts in four states; see Summaries of Term Limits Cases for details.
See a year-by-year breakdown of the number of legislators termed out between 1996 and 2014.
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