CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AMENDMENT XX
Section 1.
The terms of the President and the Vice-President shall end at noon on
the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives
at noon on the 3rd 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 3rd 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 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 (October 1933).
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.