Article Two of the original 1789 Bill of Rights proposals became the Twenty-seventh Amendment in 1992.
The First Congress submitted twelve proposed amendments to the states in 1789. Most people know that Articles Three through Twelve became the first ten amendments after ratification in 1791. Article Two, concerning congressional pay changes, did not receive enough state approvals at that time.
The proposal did not disappear. It remained legally eligible for ratification because the original resolution set no expiration date. Gregory Watson, a college student, later researched the issue and helped inspire a modern ratification campaign. Additional states approved the proposal during the late twentieth century.
Michigan became the final state needed for ratification on May 7, 1992. Congress recognized the result, and the former Article Two became the Twenty-seventh Amendment. It requires that changes to congressional compensation take effect only after an intervening election of representatives.