2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies › Chapter 3. Domestic Stock and Mutual Insurers › Part 3. Management › 33-3-303. Meetings of stockholders or members

33-3-303. Meetings of stockholders or members.
(1) Except with the commissioner's consent, meetings of stockholders or members of a domestic insurer must be held in the city or town of its principal office or place of business in this state.
(2) A meeting of stockholders or members may not amend the insurer's articles of incorporation unless the proposal to amend was included in the notice of the meeting.
(3) Except with the commissioner's consent, each insurer shall, during the first 6 months of each calendar year, hold the annual meeting of its stockholders or members to fill vacancies existing or occurring in the board of directors, must receive and shall consider reports of the insurer's officers as to its affairs, and shall transact other business properly brought before it. Not less than 20 days' notice must be given of the meeting in the manner provided in the bylaws, except when notice of the annual meeting of a mutual insurer is contained in its policies.
(4) Special meetings of the stockholders or members may be called at any time for any purpose by the board of directors upon not less than 10 days' notice, with notice given as provided in the bylaws. The notice must state the purpose of the meeting, and business for which notice was not given may not be transacted at the meeting.
(5) If more than 15 months elapse without an annual stockholders' or members' meeting being held, any stockholder or member may call for an annual meeting to be held. At any time, upon written request of any director or of any stockholders or members holding in the aggregate one-fifth of the voting power of all stockholders or members, it is the duty of the secretary to call a special meeting of stockholders or members to be held at the time that the secretary may fix, not less than 10 or more than 30 days after the receipt of the request. If the secretary fails to issue a call, the director, stockholders, or members making the request may do so.
(6) A stockholders' or members' meeting duly held may be organized for the transaction of business whenever a quorum is present. Except as otherwise provided by law or the articles of incorporation:
(a) the presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all stockholders or of all members constitutes a quorum;
(b) the stockholders or members present at a duly organized meeting may continue to do business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders or members to leave less than a quorum;
(c) if any necessary officer fails to attend a meeting, any stockholder or member present may be elected to act temporarily in lieu of the absent officer;
(d) if a meeting cannot be held because a quorum is not present, those present may adjourn the meeting to a time that they determine, but in the case of any meeting called for the election of any director, the adjournment must be to the next day and those who attend the second meeting, although less than a quorum as fixed in this section or in the articles of incorporation, constitute a quorum for the purpose of electing any director; and
(e) an annual or special meeting of stockholders or members may be adjourned to another date without new notice being given.
History: En. Sec. 434, Ch. 286, L. 1959; R.C.M. 1947, 40-4717; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 531, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 31, Ch. 227, L. 2001.