§ 14603 Benefit Corporation Conversion Rules

(a) A corporation may become a benefit corporation under this part by amending the corporation’s articles so that the articles contain a statement that the corporation is a benefit corporation. The amendment shall not be effective unless it is adopted by at least the minimum status vote. If the amendment is adopted, a shareholder of the corporation may, by complying with Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 1300) of Division 1, require the corporation to purchase at their fair market value the shares owned by the shareholder which are dissenting shares as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1300 in accordance with the procedures in that chapter, as if the adoption of the amendment were a reorganization to which that chapter applies. (b) If a corporation that is not a benefit corporation is a constituent corporation in a merger reorganization or is the acquired corporation in an exchange reorganization, and the surviving corporation in the merger reorganization is to be a benefit corporation or the articles of the acquired corporation are to be amended in the exchange reorganization to provide that it will be a benefit corporation, then the reorganization shall not be effective unless the reorganization is approved by the corporation or domestic other business entity by at least the minimum status vote. (c) If a domestic other business entity is a party to a merger reorganization and the surviving corporation in the reorganization is to be a benefit corporation, then the reorganization shall not be effective unless the reorganization is approved by the domestic other business entity by at least the minimum status vote. (d) If a domestic other business entity is the converting entity (subdivision (d) of Section 1150) in a conversion in which the converted corporation (subdivision (a) of Section 1150) is a benefit corporation, the conversion shall not be effective unless the conversion is approved by the domestic other business entity by at least the minimum status vote. (Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 728, Sec. 1. (AB 361) Effective January 1, 2012.)