Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified
January 23, 1933.
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 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
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.
Article 1, section 4, of the Constitution
modified by this section 2.
The 12th
Amendment was superseded by this section 3.
