Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 11 Sec. 21-05

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Articles of incorporation: include amended and restated articles of incorporation, articles of merger, and special charters. See
  • Benefit corporation: means a corporation as defined in section 1. See
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Meeting: means any structured communications conducted by participants in person or through the use of electronic or telecommunications medium permitting simultaneous or sequentially structured communications for the purpose of reaching a collective agreement. See
  • Voting group: means all shares of one or more classes or series that under the articles of incorporation or this title are entitled to vote and be counted together collectively on a matter at a meeting of shareholders. See

§ 21.05. Election of existing corporation to become a benefit corporation

Any corporation organized under this title may become a benefit corporation by amending its articles of incorporation to add the statement required by subdivision 21.03(a)(1) of this title to meet the definition of a benefit corporation. The amendment shall be adopted and shall become effective in accordance with sections 10.01 through 10.09 of this title, except that:

(1) the notice of the meeting of shareholders that will approve the amendment shall include a statement from the board of directors of the reasons why the board is proposing the amendment and the anticipated effect on shareholders of becoming a benefit corporation; and

(2) the amendment shall be approved by the higher of:

(A) the vote required by the articles of incorporation; or

(B) two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by the outstanding shares of the corporation, provided that if any class of shares is entitled to vote as a group, approval shall also require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by the outstanding shares of each voting group. (Added 2009, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2011.)