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20th Amendment

Text of 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Senate Concurrent Resolution, No. 4

State of New Jersey

 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION adopting and ratifying proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, changing the dates of commencement of terms of office of the President, Vice-President, Senators and members of the House of Representatives.
WHEREAS, There is now pending a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America duly adopted by both Houses of the Congress of the United States of America, which reads as follows:
“ARTICLE
"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.
"Sec. 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.
"Sec. 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 [pg. 1]

which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice-President shall have qualified.
"Sec. 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.
"Sec. 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
"Sec. 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.” Therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the House of Assembly concurring):
1. That the Legislature of the State of New Jersey does hereby ratify the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America on behalf of the State of New Jersey.
2. That the Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey be and he is hereby instructed and authorized to notify the proper officials of the Government of the United States of America of the action taken by the Legislature of the State of New Jersey. [pg. 2]

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 4
SENATE,
March 8, 1932
This bill having been three times read in the Senate,
RESOLVED, That the same do pass.
By order of the Senate.
A. Crozer Reeves, President of the Senate  
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY,
March 21, 1932
This bill having been three times read and compared in the House of Assembly,
RESOLVED, That the same do pass.
By order of the House of Assembly.
Joseph Greenberg, Speaker of the House of Assembly   [pg. 3]

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