Article [XX.]
Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on
the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon
on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended
if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall
then begin.
Section. 2. The Congress shall assemble
at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d
day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
Section. 3. If, at the time fixed
for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have
died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall
not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or
if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President
elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the
Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor
a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as
President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such
person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have
qualified.
Section. 4. The Congress may by
law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House
of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall
have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons
from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice
shall have devolved upon them.
Section. 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall
take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
Section. 6. This article shall be
inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years
from the date of its submission.
Rewrite Amendment in your own words
in the space below. Print it out and give it to your instructor or teacher or
copy and paste it into an e-mail to send him/her.
Discussion Questions:
This amendment concerns provisions
for the possible death or incapacity to the President. Do you think these
are sufficient or would there be others you might suggest?
