U.S. Constitution - Bill of Rights
Amendment 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.
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