<P> Contemporary movement on the ERA began in 2013, when Senators Ben Cardin of Maryland and Mark Kirk of Illinois, along with Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California, introduced identical bills in both the US Senate and House chambers to remove the ratification deadline altogether . Currently, the legislation continues to gain co-sponsors in both chambers in anticipation of completion of the amendment . </P> <P> In 1972, the ERA was sent to the states, with a seven - year deadline to get 38 states to ratify the amendment . Most states were eager to pass the legislation; in 1972, 22 states ratified the amendment and eight more joined in 1973 . Between 1974 and 1977, only five states approved the ERA, and advocates became worried about the approaching March 22, 1979 deadline . At the same time, the legislatures of four states which had ratified the ERA then adopted legislation purporting to rescind those ratifications . If, indeed, a state legislature has power to rescind, then the ERA actually had ratifications by only 31 states--not 35--when March 22, 1979 arrived . </P> <P> The ERA has been ratified by the following states: </P> <Ol> <Li> Hawaii (March 22, 1972) </Li> <Li> New Hampshire (March 23, 1972) </Li> <Li> Delaware (March 23, 1972) </Li> <Li> Iowa (March 24, 1972) </Li> <Li> Idaho (March 24, 1972) </Li> <Li> Kansas (March 28, 1972) </Li> <Li> Nebraska (March 29, 1972) </Li> <Li> Texas (March 30, 1972) </Li> <Li> Tennessee (April 4, 1972) </Li> <Li> Alaska (April 5, 1972) </Li> <Li> Rhode Island (April 14, 1972) </Li> <Li> New Jersey (April 17, 1972) </Li> <Li> Colorado (April 21, 1972) </Li> <Li> West Virginia (April 22, 1972) </Li> <Li> Wisconsin (April 26, 1972) </Li> <Li> New York (May 18, 1972) </Li> <Li> Michigan (May 22, 1972) </Li> <Li> Maryland (May 26, 1972) </Li> <Li> Massachusetts (June 21, 1972) </Li> <Li> Kentucky (June 26, 1972) </Li> <Li> Pennsylvania (September 27, 1972) </Li> <Li> California (November 13, 1972) </Li> <Li> Wyoming (January 26, 1973) </Li> <Li> South Dakota (February 5, 1973) </Li> <Li> Oregon (February 8, 1973) </Li> <Li> Minnesota (February 8, 1973) </Li> <Li> New Mexico (February 28, 1973) </Li> <Li> Vermont (March 1, 1973) </Li> <Li> Connecticut (March 15, 1973) </Li> <Li> Washington (March 22, 1973) </Li> <Li> Maine (January 18, 1974) </Li> <Li> Montana (January 25, 1974) </Li> <Li> Ohio (February 7, 1974) </Li> <Li> North Dakota (March 19, 1975) </Li> <Li> Indiana (January 18, 1977) </Li> <Li> Nevada (March 22, 2017), despite the ratification deadline expiring decades earlier . </Li> </Ol>

The equal rights amendment provides the legal basis for which of the following