H. B. 4585


(By Delegates Caruth, Trump, Armstead,

Amores, Ellem, Beane and Frederick)


[Introduced February 23, 2004 ; referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary.]




A BILL to amend and reenact §31D-7-708 of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to use of electronic communications for shareholder meetings and permitting the use of speaker phones or other electronic means unless specifically prohibited by articles of incorporation or bylaws.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §31D-7-708 of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7. SHAREHOLDERS.

§31D-7-708. Conduct of the meeting.

(a) At each meeting of shareholders, a chair shall preside. The chair is to be appointed as provided in the bylaws or, in the absence of a provision in the bylaws, by the board of directors.

(b) The chair, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws
provide otherwise, shall determine the order of business and has the authority to establish rules for the conduct of the meeting.
(c) Any rules adopted for, and the conduct of, the meeting are to be fair to shareholders.

(d) The chair of the meeting shall announce at the meeting when the polls close for each matter voted upon. If no announcement is made, the polls are to be deemed to have closed upon the final adjournment of the meeting. After the polls close, no ballots, proxies or votes nor any revocations or changes to a ballot, proxy or vote may be accepted.

(e) If the articles of incorporation or bylaws authorize the use of electronic communication for shareholders' meetings, any or all of the shareholders may participate in a regular or special meeting by, or conduct the meeting through the use of, any means of communication by which all shareholders may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting. Unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise, any shareholder may participate in a regular or special meeting by any means of communication by which all shareholders participating may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting. A shareholder participating in a meeting by this means is deemed to be present in person at the meeting.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.