BILL REQ. #:  Z-0309.1 

Prefiled 12/28/2006. Read first time 01/08/2007.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     AN ACT Relating to business transactions; and amending RCW 23B.19.040.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 23B.19.040 and 1997 c 19 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this title, a target corporation shall not for a period of five years following the acquiring person's share acquisition time engage in a significant business transaction unless:
     (i) It is exempted by RCW 23B.19.030 ((or unless));
     (ii) The significant business transaction or the purchase of shares made by the acquiring person is approved prior to the acquiring person's share acquisition time by a majority of the members of the board of directors of the target corporation; or
     (iii) At or subsequent to the acquiring person's share acquisition time, such significant business transaction is approved by a majority of the members of the board of directors of the target corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of shareholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting shares, except shares beneficially owned by or under the voting control of the acquiring person.
     (b) If a good faith proposal for a significant business transaction is made in writing to the board of directors of the target corporation prior to the significant business transaction or prior to the share acquisition time, the board of directors shall respond in writing, within thirty days or such shorter period, if any, as may be required by the exchange act setting forth its reasons for its decision regarding the proposal. If a good faith proposal to purchase shares is made in writing to the board of directors of the target corporation, the board of directors, unless it responds affirmatively in writing within thirty days or a shorter period, if any, as may be required by the exchange act shall be deemed to have disapproved such share purchase.
     (2) Except for a significant business transaction approved under subsection (1) of this section or exempted by RCW 23B.19.030, in addition to any other requirement, a target corporation shall not engage at any time in any significant business transaction described in RCW 23B.19.020(15) (a) or (e) with any acquiring person of such a corporation other than a significant business transaction that either meets all of the conditions of (a), (b), and (c) of this subsection or meets the conditions of (d) of this subsection:
     (a) The aggregate amount of the cash and the market value as of the consummation date of consideration other than cash to be received per share by holders of outstanding common shares of such a target corporation in a significant business transaction is at least equal to the higher of the following:
     (i) The highest per share price paid by such an acquiring person at a time when the person was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of five percent or more of the outstanding voting shares of a target corporation, for any shares of common shares of the same class or series acquired by it: (A) Within the five-year period immediately prior to the announcement date with respect to a significant business transaction; or (B) within the five-year period immediately prior to, or in, the transaction in which the acquiring person became an acquiring person, whichever is higher plus, in either case, interest compounded annually from the earliest date on which the highest per share acquisition price was paid through the consummation date at the rate for one-year United States treasury obligations from time to time in effect; less the aggregate amount of any cash dividends paid, and the market value of any dividends paid other than in cash, per share of common shares since the earliest date, up to the amount of the interest; and
     (ii) The market value per share of common shares on the announcement date with respect to a significant business transaction or on the date of the acquiring person's share acquisition time, whichever is higher; plus interest compounded annually from such a date through the consummation date at the rate for one-year United States treasury obligations from time to time in effect; less the aggregate amount of any cash dividends paid, and the market value of any dividends paid other than in cash, per share of common shares since the date, up to the amount of the interest.
     (b) The aggregate amount of the cash and the market value as of the consummation date of consideration other than cash to be received per share by holders of outstanding shares of any class or series of shares, other than common shares, of the target corporation is at least equal to the highest of the following, whether or not the acquiring person has previously acquired any shares of such a class or series of shares:
     (i) The highest per share price paid by an acquiring person at a time when the person was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of five percent or more of the outstanding voting shares of a resident domestic corporation, for any shares of the same class or series of shares acquired by it: (A) Within the five-year period immediately prior to the announcement date with respect to a significant business transaction; or (B) within the five-year period immediately prior to, or in, the transaction in which the acquiring person became an acquiring person, whichever is higher; plus, in either case, interest compounded annually from the earliest date on which the highest per share acquisition price was paid through the consummation date at the rate for one-year United States treasury obligations from time to time in effect; less the aggregate amount of any cash dividends paid, and the market value of any dividends paid other than in cash, per share of the same class or series of shares since the earliest date, up to the amount of the interest;
     (ii) The highest preferential amount per share to which the holders of shares of the same class or series of shares are entitled in the event of any voluntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the target corporation, plus the aggregate amount of any dividends declared or due as to which the holders are entitled prior to payment of dividends on some other class or series of shares, unless the aggregate amount of the dividends is included in the preferential amount; and
     (iii) The market value per share of the same class or series of shares on the announcement date with respect to a significant business transaction or on the date of the acquiring person's share acquisition time, whichever is higher; plus interest compounded annually from such a date through the consummation date at the rate for one-year United States treasury obligations from time to time in effect; less the aggregate amount of any cash dividends paid and the market value of any dividends paid other than in cash, per share of the same class or series of shares since the date, up to the amount of the interest.
     (c) The consideration to be received by holders of a particular class or series of outstanding shares, including common shares, of the target corporation in a significant business transaction is in cash or in the same form as the acquiring person has used to acquire the largest number of shares of the same class or series of shares previously acquired by the person, and the consideration shall be distributed promptly.
     (d) The significant business transaction is approved at an annual meeting of shareholders, or special meeting of shareholders called for such a purpose, no earlier than five years after the acquiring person's share acquisition time, by a majority of the votes entitled to be counted within each voting group entitled to vote separately on the transaction. The votes of all outstanding shares entitled to vote under this title or the articles of incorporation shall be entitled to be counted under this subsection except that the votes of shares as to which an acquiring person has beneficial ownership or voting control may not be counted to determine whether shareholders have approved a transaction for purposes of this subsection. The votes of shares as to which an acquiring person has beneficial ownership or voting control shall, however, be counted in determining whether a transaction is approved under other sections of this title and for purposes of determining a quorum.
     (3) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply to a target corporation that on June 6, 1996, had a provision in its articles of incorporation, adopted under RCW 23B.17.020(3)(d), expressly electing not to be covered under RCW 23B.17.020, which is repealed by section 6, chapter 155, Laws of 1996.
     (4) A significant business transaction that is made in violation of subsection (1) or (2) of this section and that is not exempt under RCW 23B.19.030 is void.