00                             SENATE BILL NO. 77                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to the books and records of a corporation, including the nonapplication                                
02 of certain provisions to a state bank, the waiver or alteration of certain provisions by                                
03 shareholder agreements, and the application of certain provisions to shareholder voting                                 
04 trusts; and amending Rule 26, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure."                                                         
05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
06    * Section 1. AS 06.05.301(b) is amended to read:                                                                   
07            (b)  The provisions of AS 10.06 (Alaska Corporations Code) apply to state                                    
08       banks, except those provisions inconsistent with this chapter. The provisions                                     
09       inconsistent with this chapter include AS 10.06.010(4) - (8), 10.06.105(a) and (d),                               
10       10.06.325, 10.06.356, 10.06.358 - 10.06.360, 10.06.370, 10.06.385 - 10.06.388,                                    
11       10.06.420(i), 10.06.430, 10.06.431, 10.06.453, 10.06.460(b), 10.06.485, 10.06.522 -                           
12       10.06.868, 10.06.915, 10.06.960, and 10.06.990(30) [10.06.990(31)] and (37).                                  
13    * Sec. 2. AS 10.06.424(e) is amended to read:                                                                      
14            (e)  A shareholders' agreement may not alter or waive AS 10.06.350,                                          
01       10.06.358, 10.06.360, 10.06.430, 10.06.431, 10.06.438, 10.06.544, 10.06.570,                                  
02       10.06.633, 10.06.648, or 10.06.653.                                                                               
03    * Sec. 3. AS 10.06.425(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
04            (a)  Any number of shareholders of a corporation may create a voting trust for                               
05       the purpose of conferring on [UPON] a trustee or trustees the right to vote or                                
06       otherwise represent their shares by entering into a written voting trust agreement                                
07       specifying the terms and conditions of the voting trust, by depositing a copy of the                              
08       agreement with the corporation at its registered office, and by transferring their shares                         
09       to the trustee or trustees for the purpose of the agreement. The trustee or trustees shall                        
10       keep a record of the holders of voting trust certificates evidencing a beneficial interest                        
11       in the voting trust, giving the names and addresses of all the holders and the number                             
12       and class of the shares for which the voting trust certificates are issued, and shall                             
13       deposit a copy of the record with the corporation at its registered office. The copies of                         
14       the voting trust agreement and the record deposited with the corporation are subject to                           
15       the same right of examination by a shareholder of the corporation, in person or by                                
16       agent or attorney, as are the books and records of the corporation under AS 10.06.430                             
17       and 10.06.431, and the copies of the agreement and the record are subject to                                  
18       examination by a holder of record of voting trust certificates, either in person or by                            
19       agent or attorney, at a reasonable time for a proper purpose. This subsection does not                            
20       invalidate an irrevocable proxy complying with AS 10.06.418(e).                                                   
21    * Sec. 4. AS 10.06.430 is repealed and reenacted to read:                                                          
22            Sec. 10.06.430. Books and records. (a) A corporation shall keep books and                                  
23       records. The corporation may keep the books and records in written form or in any                                 
24       other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable time.                                 
25            (b)  Upon written request by a corporation's shareholder who complies with the                               
26       requirements of this subsection and (c) and (d) of this section, a corporation shall                              
27       make its books and records, or certified copies of them, reasonably available to the                              
28       shareholder for inspection and copying at the registered office or principal place of                             
29       business in the state. The written request must state with reasonable particularity a                             
30       proper purpose for the inspection. The shareholder may make the inspection in person,                             
31       or by the shareholder's agent or attorney, at a reasonable time and may only inspect                              
01       and copy those books and records that are directly connected to and sufficient to                                 
02       satisfy the stated proper purpose of the inspection.                                                              
03            (c)  Before making books and records available for inspection or copying                                     
04       under this section, a corporation may require a shareholder to                                                    
05                 (1)  agree to limitations or conditions on the use or disclosure of the                                 
06       books and records by the shareholder, or by the shareholder's agent or attorney, if the                           
07       limitations or conditions are reasonable, are appropriate under the circumstances, and                            
08       are not unreasonably restrictive in light of the shareholder's stated proper purpose; the                         
09       corporation may require the shareholder to sign an agreement that contains the                                    
10       limitations or conditions;                                                                                        
11                 (2)  pay the corporation's anticipated costs, which must be reasonable,                                 
12       to comply with the shareholder's request to inspect and copy the books and records.                               
13            (d)  In addition to the requirements described in (b) and (c) of this section, if                            
14       the shareholder's stated proper purpose is to uncover misconduct, misfeasance, or                                 
15       malfeasance of the corporation or of a director, officer, or committee of the                                     
16       corporation, the shareholder shall provide the corporation with evidence that provides                            
17       a credible basis for inferring the existence of misconduct, misfeasance, or                                       
18       malfeasance.                                                                                                      
19            (e)  Notwithstanding another provision of this section or AS 10.06.431 to the                                
20       contrary, a corporation is not required to allow a shareholder, or a shareholder's agent                          
21       or attorney, to inspect or copy the books and records of the corporation and has no                               
22       obligation under this section or AS 10.06.431 to the shareholder, or the shareholder's                            
23       agent or attorney, if                                                                                             
24                 (1)  the shareholder has not paid money that the shareholder owes to the                                
25       corporation;                                                                                                      
26                 (2)  the money owed under (1) of this subsection arises from a                                          
27       judgment against the shareholder in a court action between the shareholder and the                                
28       corporation; and                                                                                                  
29                 (3)  in the court action described under (2) of this subsection, the court                              
30       determined that the corporation was the prevailing party or awarded attorney fees to                              
31       the corporation under Rule 82, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure.                                                   
01    * Sec. 5. AS 10.06 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                     
02            Sec. 10.06.431. Books and records requests; penalties and judicial review.                                 
03       (a) If a shareholder directly or through the shareholder's agent or attorney violates an                          
04       agreement allowed under AS 10.06.430(c)(1), the shareholder is liable to the                                      
05       corporation for a penalty that may not exceed $5,000, and, on petition to the superior                            
06       court by the corporation, the superior court may order                                                            
07                 (1)  the shareholder to pay the corporation the penalty provided in this                                
08       subsection;                                                                                                       
09                 (2)  the shareholder to comply with the agreement;                                                      
10                 (3)  the shareholder to return or destroy the books and records that are                                
11       subject to the confidentiality agreement;                                                                         
12                 (4)  other legal or equitable relief that the court considers appropriate.                              
13            (b)  A shareholder may petition the superior court to order a corporation to                                 
14       make available to the shareholder for inspection or copying those books and records                               
15       that are directly connected to and sufficient to satisfy the stated proper purpose of the                         
16       inspection.                                                                                                       
17            (c)  The superior court may order a corporation to make its books and records                                
18       available to a shareholder for inspection or copying under (b) of this section if the                             
19       shareholder shows by a preponderance of the evidence that                                                         
20                 (1)  the shareholder is a shareholder of the corporation;                                               
21                 (2)  the shareholder has complied with AS 10.06.430(b), (c), and, if                                    
22       applicable, AS 10.06.430(d);                                                                                      
23                 (3)  the shareholder is seeking the inspection or copying for a proper                                  
24       purpose; and                                                                                                      
25                 (4)  the corporation denied the shareholder's demand, failed to respond                                 
26       to the demand within a reasonable amount of time, or required the petitioner to agree                             
27       to limitations or conditions on the use or disclosure of the books and records that did                           
28       not comply with AS 10.06.430(c).                                                                                  
29            (d)  If the shareholder's stated purpose under (c)(3) of this section is to uncover                          
30       misconduct, misfeasance, or malfeasance of the corporation or of a director, officer, or                          
31       committee of the corporation, the shareholder shall provide evidence that provides a                              
01       credible basis for inferring the existence of misconduct, misfeasance, or malfeasance.                            
02            (e)  A shareholder may not use discovery in a court action to obtain evidence to                             
03       satisfy the requirement for credible evidence in (d) of this section.                                             
04            (f)  In addition to ordering a corporation to make its books and records                                     
05       available for inspection and copying under (c) of this section, a court may                                       
06                 (1)  set limitations or conditions on the inspection or copying;                                        
07                 (2)  order the corporation to pay the shareholder the penalty established                               
08       under (g) of this section; and                                                                                    
09                 (3)  order other legal or equitable relief that the court considers                                     
10       appropriate.                                                                                                      
11            (g)  If the corporation, or an officer or agent of the corporation, unreasonably                             
12       refuses to allow a shareholder, or the agent or attorney of the shareholder, to examine                           
13       and make copies of the corporation's books and records for a proper purpose, the                                  
14       corporation is liable to the shareholder for a penalty that may not exceed $5,000.                                
15            (h)  Notwithstanding (g) of this section, a corporation is not liable for a penalty                          
16       under (g) of this section if the shareholder bringing the action                                                  
17                 (1)  has within five years before bringing the action sold or offered for                               
18       sale a list of shareholders of the corporation or another corporation or has aided or                             
19       abetted a person to procure a list of shareholders for the purpose of selling or offering                         
20       the list for sale;                                                                                                
21                 (2)  improperly used information secured through a prior examination                                    
22       of the books and records of the corporation or another corporation;                                               
23                 (3)  is not acting in good faith or for a proper purpose in making the                                  
24       demand; or                                                                                                        
25                 (4)  has, within five years before bringing the action, breached an                                     
26       agreement described in AS 10.06.430(c).                                                                           
27    * Sec. 6. AS 10.06.990 is amended by adding new paragraphs to read:                                                
28                 (51)  "books and records" means a corporation's books and records of                                    
29       account, minutes, and record of shareholders; in this paragraph,                                                  
30                      (A)  "books and records of account" means the corporation's                                        
31            quarterly and annual balance sheets, statement of income, statement of cash                                  
01            flow, and account balances, debit entries, and credit entries in the corporation's                           
02            financial accounting journal;                                                                                
03                      (B)  "minutes" means the official record of the subjects                                           
04            discussed and actions taken at the meetings of the corporation's shareholders,                               
05            board, and committees of the board under AS 10.06.405 and 10.06.470, but                                     
06            does not include presentations, reports, and other materials given to the board                              
07            at the meetings; and                                                                                         
08                      (C)  "record of shareholders" means a list containing the names                                    
09            and mailing addresses of all shareholders and the number and class of the                                    
10            shares held by each shareholder;                                                                             
11                 (52)  "proper purpose" means a purpose that is directly related to the                                  
12       shareholder's interest as a shareholder.                                                                          
13    * Sec. 7. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
14 read:                                                                                                                   
15       INDIRECT COURT RULE AMENDMENT. (a) AS 10.06.431(e), added by sec. 5 of                                            
16 this Act, has the effect of changing Rule 26(b), Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, by                                    
17 prohibiting a shareholder from using evidence obtained from discovery in a court action to                              
18 satisfy the credible evidence requirement in AS 10.06.431(d).                                                           
19       (b)  In (a) of this section, "shareholder" has the meaning given in AS 10.06.990.                                 
20    * Sec. 8. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
21 read:                                                                                                                   
22       APPLICABILITY. (a) AS 10.06.430, as repealed and reenacted by sec. 4 of this Act,                                 
23 AS 10.06.431, added by sec. 5 of this Act, and AS 10.06.990(51) and (52), added by sec. 6 of                            
24 this Act, apply to the inspection and copying of the books and records of a corporation                                 
25            (1)  in a court action that begins or is pending on or after the effective date of                           
26 this Act; or                                                                                                            
27            (2)  if the request for the inspection and copying is made on or after the                                   
28 effective date of this Act.                                                                                             
29       (b)  In this section, "books and records" and "corporation" have the meanings given in                            
30 AS 10.06.990, as amended by sec. 6 of this Act.                                                                         
31    * Sec. 9. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
01 read:                                                                                                                   
02       CONDITIONAL EFFECT. AS 10.06.431(e), added by sec. 5 of this Act, takes effect                                    
03 only if sec. 7 of this Act receives the two-thirds majority vote of each house required by art.                         
04 IV, sec. 15, Constitution of the State of Alaska.