Montana Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies § 33-3-203. Amendment of articles of incorporation--grounds for disapproval

(1) A domestic stock insurer may amend its articles of incorporation for any lawful purpose by written authorization of the holders of a majority of the voting power of its outstanding capital stock or by affirmative vote of a majority voting at a lawful meeting of stockholders of which the notice given to stockholders included notice of the proposal to amend.

(2) A domestic mutual insurer may amend its articles of incorporation for any lawful purpose by affirmative vote of a majority of those of its members present or represented by proxy at a lawful meeting of its members of which the notice given members included notice of the proposal to amend.

(3) Upon adoption of an amendment, the insurer shall set forth the amendment and the date and manner of the amendment's adoption in articles of amendment. The articles of amendment must be executed by the insurer's president or vice president and secretary or assistant secretary and acknowledged by them before an officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds. The insurer shall deliver to the commissioner the articles of amendment. If the commissioner finds that the articles of amendment and the amendment comply with law, the amendment must be approved. The amendment is effective when it has been filed with the secretary of state.

(4) If the commissioner finds that the proposed amendment or the articles of amendment do not comply with the law, the commissioner may not approve the amendment or the articles of amendment and shall provide a written statement of reasons for nonapproval. The filing fee is not returnable.

(5) If an amendment of articles of incorporation would reduce the authorized capital stock of a stock insurer below the amount then outstanding, the commissioner may not approve the amendment if the commissioner has reason to believe that the interests of policyholders or creditors of the insurer would be materially prejudiced by the reduction. If a reduction of capital stock is realized, the insurer may require the return of the original certificates of stock held by each stockholder for exchange for new certificates for the number of shares as the stockholder is then entitled in the proportion that the reduced capital bears to the amount of capital stock outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective date of the reduction.