▁by ▁ 3 6 ▁states ▁was ▁required ▁for ▁it ▁to ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution , ▁as ▁there ▁were ▁forty - e ight ▁states . ▁Tw enty - e ight ▁had ▁rat ified ▁the ▁am end ment ▁by ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁but ▁none ▁have ▁done ▁so ▁since . ▁To ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁today , ▁rat ification ▁by ▁an ▁additional ▁ten ▁would ▁be ▁required . ▁A ▁federal ▁stat ute ▁approved ▁June ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁reg ulated ▁the ▁employ ment ▁of ▁those ▁under ▁ 1 6 ▁or ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁of ▁age ▁in ▁inter state ▁commerce . ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁by ▁un anim ous ▁vote ▁in ▁United ▁States ▁v . ▁Dar by ▁L umber ▁Co . ▁( 1 9 4 1 ), ▁found ▁this ▁law ▁constitution al , ▁effectively ▁over turn ing ▁Ham mer ▁v . ▁D agen hart . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁development , ▁the ▁movement ▁pushing ▁for ▁the ▁am end ment ▁concluded . ▁ ▁Status ▁cont ested ▁ ▁The ▁Equ al ▁Rights ▁Am end ment ▁( pro posed ▁ 1 9 7 2 ) ▁would ▁have ▁prohib ited ▁dep riv ation ▁of ▁equality ▁of ▁rights ▁( dis c rim ination ) ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁or ▁state ▁govern ments ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁sex . ▁A ▁seven - year ▁rat ification ▁time ▁limit ▁was ▁initially ▁placed ▁on ▁the ▁am end ment , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁dead line ▁approached , ▁Congress ▁granted ▁a ▁three - year ▁extension . ▁Th