# What This Bill Actually Does

This bill is about removing a deadline that's been blocking the Equal Rights Amendment from becoming part of the Constitution. Here's the situation: back in 1972, Congress proposed an amendment that would guarantee equal rights regardless of sex. The original proposal came with a time limit—states had until 1982 to approve it. The amendment fell just short of the votes needed before that deadline expired, so it never became official constitutional law.

Since then, more states have voted to ratify the amendment, and supporters argue that if you remove that old deadline, the amendment would now have enough state approvals to become part of the Constitution. This bill does exactly that—it says the time limit no longer applies, and the amendment should be considered valid based on the states that have already voted for it (or would vote for it going forward). Essentially, it's giving the amendment a second chance by erasing the clock that ran out fifty years ago.

If this bill passes, the Equal Rights Amendment would become the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. In practical terms, this would enshrine into the nation's highest law the principle that the government cannot deny rights based on sex. This could potentially affect how courts handle cases involving gender discrimination, workplace equality, and other sex-based legal issues. Supporters believe it would strengthen protections for women and ensure equal treatment under law, while opponents have concerns about how broadly the amendment might be interpreted and what specific policies it could require.

Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment.

Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]

 <p>This joint resolution provides that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, regardless of any time limit that was in the original proposal. </p> <p>The Equal Rights Amendment was originally proposed to the states in 1972. The original proposal included a deadline for ratification of March 22, 1979; Congress subsequently extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. Although the requisite 38 states have ratified the amendment, three of these states did so after the deadlines, and five states subsequently rescinded their ratifications. The status of the amendment has been the subject of litigation.</p>