▁provide ▁essential ▁documentation ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ' s ▁valid ity , ▁a ▁statement ▁of ▁" This ▁is ▁what ▁was ▁agreed ▁to ." ▁It ▁records ▁who ▁signed ▁the ▁Constitution , ▁and ▁when ▁and ▁where . ▁ ▁Am ending ▁the ▁Constitution ▁The ▁procedure ▁for ▁am ending ▁the ▁Constitution ▁is ▁out lined ▁in ▁Article ▁Five ▁( see ▁above ). ▁The ▁process ▁is ▁over seen ▁by ▁the ▁archiv ist ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁it ▁was ▁over seen ▁by ▁the ▁administrator ▁of ▁General ▁Services , ▁and ▁before ▁that ▁by ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁state . ▁ ▁Under ▁Article ▁Five , ▁a ▁proposal ▁for ▁an ▁am end ment ▁must ▁be ▁adopted ▁either ▁by ▁Congress ▁or ▁by ▁a ▁national ▁convention , ▁but ▁ ▁all ▁am end ments ▁have ▁gone ▁through ▁Congress . ▁The ▁proposal ▁must ▁receive ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁of ▁both ▁houses ▁to ▁proceed . ▁It ▁is ▁passed ▁as ▁a ▁joint ▁resolution , ▁but ▁is ▁not ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁president , ▁who ▁plays ▁no ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁Instead , ▁it ▁is ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Register , ▁which ▁copies ▁it ▁in ▁s lip ▁law ▁format ▁and ▁subm its ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁states . ▁Congress ▁dec ides ▁whether ▁the ▁proposal ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁rat ified ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁or ▁by ▁a ▁state ▁rat ifying ▁convention . ▁To ▁date ▁all ▁am end ments ▁have ▁been ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁legisl atures ▁except ▁one , ▁the ▁Tw enty -