BY-LAWS
OF
THE DREYFUS/LAUREL TAX-FREE MUNICIPAL FUNDS
ARTICLE 1
Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Principal Office
1.1. Agreement and Declaration of Trust. These By-Laws shall be subject
to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as from time to time in effect (the
"Declaration of Trust"), of The Dreyfus/Laurel Funds Tax-Free Funds (formerly,
The Boston Company Tax-Free Municipal Funds), the Massachusetts business trust
established by the Declaration of Trust (the "Trust").
1.2. Principal Office of the Trust. The principal office of the Trust
shall be located in Boston, Massachusetts.
ARTICLE 2
Meetings of Trustees
2.1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Trustees may be held
without call or notice at such places and at such times as the Trustees may from
time to time determine, provided that notice of the first regular meeting
following any such determination shall be given to absent Trustees.
2.2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Trustees may be held at
any time and at any place designated in the call of the meeting when called by
the Chairman of the Trustees, the President or the Treasurer or by two or more
Trustees, sufficient notice thereof being given to each Trustee by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary or by the officer or the Trustees calling the meeting.
2.3. Notice. It shall be sufficient notice to a Trustee of a special
meeting to send notice by mail at least forty-eight hours or by telegram at
least twenty-four hours before the meeting addressed to the Trustee at his or
her usual or last known business or residence address or to give notice to him
or her in person or by telephone at least twenty-four hours before the meeting.
Notice of a meeting need not be given to any Trustee if a written waiver of
notice, executed by him or her before or after the meeting, is filed with the
records of the meeting, or to any Trustee who attends the meeting without
protesting prior thereto or at its commencement the lack of notice to him or
her. Neither notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a notice need specify the
purposes of the meeting.
2.4. Quorum. At any meeting of the Trustees a majority of the Trustees
then in office shall constitute a quorum. Any meeting may be adjourned from time
to time by a majority of the votes cast upon the question, whether or not a
quorum is present, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further
notice.
2.5. Participation by Telephone. One or more of the Trustees or of any
committee of the Trustees may participate in a meeting thereof by means of a
conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons
participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participation
by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.
2.6. Action Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be
taken at any meeting of the Trustees may be taken without a meeting if written
consents thereto are signed by a majority of the Trustees and such written
consents are filed with the records of the meetings of the board.
ARTICLE 3
Officers
3.1. Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the Trust shall be a
Chairman of the Trustees, a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary and such other
officers, including Vice Presidents, if any, as the Trustees from time to time
may in their discretion elect. The Trust may also have such agents as the
Trustees from time to time may in their discretion appoint. The Chairman of the
Trustees shall be a Trustee and may but need not be a shareholder; and any other
officer may be but none need be a Trustee or shareholder. Any two or more
offices may be held by the same person.
3.2. Election. The Chairman of the Trustees, the President, the Treasurer
and the Secretary shall be elected annually by the Trustees. Other officers, if
any, may be elected or appointed by the Trustees at any time. Vacancies in any
offices may be filled at any time.
3.3. Tenure. The Chairman of the Trustees, the President, the Treasurer
and the Secretary shall hold office until their respective successors are chosen
and qualified, or in each case until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed
or becomes disqualified. Each other officer shall hold office and each agent
shall retain authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
3.4. Powers. Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws, each
officer shall have, in addition to the duties and powers herein and in the
Declaration of Trust set forth, such duties and powers as are commonly incident
to the office occupied by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a
Massachusetts business corporation and such other duties and powers as the
Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.5. Chairman; President. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the
Chairman of the Trustees, or, if there is none, or in the absence of the
Chairman, the President shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and of
the Trustees. The President shall be the chief executive officer.
3.6. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial and accounting
officer of the Trust, and shall, subject to the provisions of the Declaration of
Trust and to any arrangement made by the Trustees with a custodian, investment
adviser or manager, or transfer, shareholder servicing or similar agent, be in
charge of the valuable papers, books of account and accounting records of the
Trust, and shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from
time to time by the Trustees or by the President.
3.7. Secretary. The Secretary shall record all proceedings of the
shareholders and the Trustees in books to be kept therefore, which books or a
copy thereof shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust. In the absence
of the Secretary from any meeting of the shareholders or Trustees, an assistant
secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is absent, a temporary secretary
chosen at such meeting shall record the proceedings thereof in the aforesaid
books.
3.8. Resignations and Removals. Any Trustee or officer may resign at any
time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to the Chairman,
the President or the Secretary or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation
shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some other
time. The Trustees may remove any officer elected by them with or without cause.
Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust,
no Trustee or officer resigning and no officer removed shall have any right to
any compensation for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or
any right to damages on account of such removal.
ARTICLE 4
Committees; Experts and Advisers
4.1. General. The Trustees, by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in
office, may elect from their number an Executive Committee or other committees
and may delegate thereto some or all of their powers except those which by law,
by the Declaration of Trust, or by these By-Laws may not be delegated. Except as
the Trustees may otherwise determine, any such committee may make rules for the
conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the Trustees or in
such rules, its business shall be conducted so far as possible in the same
manner as is provided by these By-Laws for the Trustees themselves. All members
of such committees shall hold such offices at the pleasure of the Trustees. The
Trustees may abolish any such committee at any time. Any committee to which the
Trustees delegate any of their powers or duties shall keep records of its
meetings and shall report its action to the Trustees. The Trustees shall have
power to rescind any action of any committee, but no such rescission shall have
retroactive effect.
4.2. Authority to Retain Experts and Advisers. The Trustees who are not
"interested persons" (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended) of the Trust may hire employees and retain experts and
advisers, including independent legal counsel, at the expense of the Trust, to
the extent such Trustees deem necessary to carry out their duties as Trustees.
ARTICLE 5
Reports
5.1. General. The Trustees and officers shall render reports at the time
and in the manner required by the Declaration of Trust or any applicable law.
Officers and Committees shall render such additional reports as they may deem
desirable or as may from time to time be required by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 6
Seal
6.1. General. The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced die
with the word "Massachusetts", together with name of the Trust and the year of
its organization cut or engraved thereon, but, unless otherwise required by the
Trustees, the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and its absence shall
not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper executed and
delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 7
Execution of Papers
7.1. General. Except as the Trustees may generally or in particular cases
authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all deeds, leases,
contracts, notes and other obligations made by the Trustees shall be signed by
the President, any Vice President, or by the Treasurer and need not bear the
seal of the Trust.
ARTICLE 8
Issuance of Share Certificates
8.1. Share Certificates. In lieu of issuing certificates for shares, the
Trustees or the transfer agent may either issue receipts therefore, or may keep
accounts upon the books of the Trust for the record holders of such shares, who
shall in either case be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be the holders of
certificates for such shares as if they had accepted such certificates and shall
be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof.
The Trustees may at any time authorize the issuance of share
certificates. In that event, each shareholder shall be entitled to a certificate
stating the number of shares owned by him, in such form as shall be prescribed
from time to time by the Trustees. Such certificate shall be signed by the
president or a vice-president and by the treasurer or assistant treasurer. Such
signatures may be facsimiles if the certificate is signed by a transfer agent,
or by a registrar, other than a Trustee, officer of employee of the Trust. In
case any officer who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on
such certificate shall cease to be such officer before such certificate is
issued, it may be issued by the Trust with the same effect as if he were such
officer at the time of its issue.
8.2. Loss of Certificates. In case of the alleged loss or destruction or
the mutilation of a share certificate, a duplicate certificate may be issued in
place thereof, upon such terms as the Trustees shall prescribe.
8.3. Issuance of New Certificate to Pledgee. A pledgee of shares
transferred as collateral security shall be entitled to a new certificate if the
instrument of transfer substantially describes the debt or duty that is intended
to be secured thereby. Such new certificate shall express on its face that it is
held as collateral security, and the name of the pledgor shall be stated
thereon, who alone shall be liable as a shareholder, and entitled to vote
thereon.
8.4. Discontinuance of Issuance of Certificates. The Trustees may at
anytime discontinue the issuance of share certificates and may, by written
notice to each shareholder, require the surrender of shares certificates to the
Trust for cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect the
ownership of shares in the Trust.
ARTICLE 9
Custodian
9.1. General. The Trust shall at all times employ a bank or trust company
having a capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least Two Million Dollars
($2,000,000) as Custodian of the capital assets of the Trust. The Custodian
shall be compensated for its services by the Trust and upon such basis as shall
be agreed upon from time to time between the Trust and the Custodian.
ARTICLE 10
Dealings with Trustees and Officers
Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust may acquire, own and
dispose of shares of the Trust to the same extent as if he were not a Trustee,
officer or agent; and the Trustees may accept subscriptions to shares or
repurchase shares from any firm or company in which he is interested.
ARTICLE 11
Shareholders
11.1. Meetings. A meeting of the shareholders of the Trust shall be held
whenever called by the Trustees and whenever of a Trustee or Trustees by
shareholders is required by the provisions of selection 16(a) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 for that purpose. Meetings of shareholders shall also be
called by the Trustee when requested in writing by shareholders holding at least
10% of the shares then outstanding, or if the Trustees shall fail to call or
give notice of any meeting of shareholders for a period of 30 days after such
application, then shareholders holding at least 10% of the shares then
outstanding may call and give notice of such meeting.
11.2. Record Dates. For the purpose of determining the shareholders who
are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment thereof, or who
are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution,
the Trustees may from time to time fix a time, which shall be not more than 90
days before the date of any meeting of shareholders or the date for the payment
of any dividend or of any other distribution, and in such case only shareholders
of record on such record date shall have such right, notwithstanding any
transfer of shares on the books of the Trust after the record date; or without
fixing such record date the Trustees may for any such purposes close the
register or transfer books for all or any part of such period.
11.3 Voting- Proxies. At all meetings of shareholders, every shareholder
of record entitled to vote thereat may vote either in person or by proxy,
provided that such proxy is authorized to act by (1) a written instrument
executed either by the shareholder or by his duly authorized attorney in fact
(who may be so authorized by a writing or by any non-written means permitted by
the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) or (2) electronic, telephonic,
facsimile, computerized means or such other alternative means as may be approved
by a resolution adopted by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 12
Amendments to the By-Laws
12.1. General. These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in
part, by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the
Trustees, or by one or more writings signed by such a majority.
ARTICLE 13
Declaration of Trust
The Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust establishing
The Boston Company Tax-Free Municipal Funds (the Trust's former name) dated
March 28, 1983, a copy of which, together with all amendments thereto, is on
file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
provides that the name The Boston Company Tax-free Municipal Funds refers to the
Trustees under the Declaration collectively as Trustees, but not as individuals
or personally; and no Trustee, Shareholder, officer, employee or agent of the
Trust shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their
private property, for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise,
in connection with the affairs of the Trust, but the Trust Estate only shall be
liable.
Amended and Restated: February 1, 2006
