20th Amendment

By JustMe14
  • Period: to

    Commese Proceedings

    September after the necessary 9 states ratified the constitution the congress of confederation set march 4 1789 as the date for "commencing proceedings" for the newly formed government

  • Proposed

    Congress proposed this amendment on March 2 1932

  • Virginia Ratified

    Ratified by Virginia

  • New York Ratified

    Ratified by New york

  • Mississippi Ratified

    Ratified by Mississippi

  • Arkansas and Kentucky Ratified

    Ratified by Arkansas and Kentucky

  • New Jersey

    Ratified

  • South Carolina Ratified

    Ratified by South Carolina

  • 8th through the 36th state ratify

    Ratified by Michigan, Maine, Rhode Island, Illinois, Louisiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas, Alabama, California, North Carolina, North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Oregon, Delaware, Washington, Wyoming, Iowa, South Dakota, Tennessee, Idaho, New Mexico, and last but not least, Missouri. in that order.

  • Section 1

    Section 1 of this amendment states that the beginning date of the presidential term shall begin at 12pm on January 20th every year. This gives 6 weeks of lame duck time to the newly elected president and vice president.
    Also moved the start of newly elected congressional terms to 12pm January 3rd.

  • Section 2

    Section 2 moved the start of congressional sessions from the first Monday in December to noon on January 3 of the same year. This removed the requirement for a lame duck session, but Congress still normally meets in December of election years. Because of Section 2, if the Electoral College fails to resolve who will be the president or vice president, the incoming Congress, as opposed to the outgoing one, would choose who would occupy the unresolved office or offices.