enty - first ▁Am end ment . ▁ ▁Pres ently , ▁the ▁Archiv ist ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁is ▁charged ▁with ▁responsibility ▁for ▁admin ister ing ▁the ▁rat ification ▁process ▁under ▁the ▁prov isions ▁of ▁ 1 ▁U . S . ▁Code ▁. ▁The ▁Archiv ist ▁subm its ▁the ▁proposed ▁am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁states ▁for ▁their ▁consideration ▁by ▁sending ▁a ▁letter ▁of ▁notification ▁to ▁each ▁Governor . ▁Each ▁Governor ▁then ▁formally ▁subm its ▁the ▁am end ment ▁to ▁their ▁state ' s ▁legisl ature . ▁When ▁a ▁state ▁rat ifies ▁a ▁proposed ▁am end ment , ▁it ▁sends ▁the ▁Archiv ist ▁an ▁original ▁or ▁cert ified ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁action . ▁Rat ification ▁documents ▁are ▁exam ined ▁by ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Register ▁for ▁fa cial ▁legal ▁su ffic iency ▁and ▁an ▁authentic ating ▁signature . ▁ ▁Article ▁Five ▁ends ▁by ▁shield ing ▁certain ▁cla uses ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁frame ▁of ▁government ▁from ▁being ▁am ended . ▁Article ▁One , ▁Section ▁ 9 , ▁Cla uses ▁ 1 ▁prevents ▁Congress ▁from ▁passing ▁any ▁law ▁that ▁would ▁restrict ▁the ▁import ation ▁of ▁slaves ▁into ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 8 , ▁plus ▁the ▁fourth ▁clause ▁from ▁that ▁same ▁section , ▁which ▁re iter ates ▁the ▁Constitution al ▁rule ▁that ▁direct ▁tax es ▁must ▁be ▁app ort ioned ▁according ▁to ▁state ▁populations . ▁These ▁cla uses ▁were ▁explicitly ▁shield ed ▁from ▁Constitution al ▁am end ment ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 8 . ▁On