What is the process for amending the US Constitution?
Amending the United States Constitution is a lengthy process that begins when a proposed amendment is introduced in Congress. Amendments can originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. In either case, the amendment must pass through a rigorous review process that includes being introduced to the floor of either the House or Senate, passing a majority vote and being sent to the other chamber of Congress for an additional vote. After the proposed amendment passes both chambers of Congress, it must be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures or ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. Fortunately for those proposing constitutional amendments, this process can be simplified when two-thirds of both chambers of Congress agree to the amendment. Two-thirds of Congress can present the amendment to the states for a ratification vote, eliminating the need for an additional majority vote. Amendments that pass the two-thirds vote in Congress and are ratified by three-fourths of the states become part of the US Constitution. However, if a proposal does not pass both chambers of Congress, the amendment process ends. In New Hampshire, the process for amending the US Constitution is the same as the federal process.
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