Exhibit 9(c)
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
between
and
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
JPM259D
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Article 1 Terms of Appointment; Duties of the Bank........................ 2
Article 2 Fees and Expenses .............................................. 5
Article 3 Representations and Warranties of the Bank...................... 6
Article 4 Representations and Warranties of the Fund...................... 7
Article 5 Data Access and Proprietary Information ........................ 8
Article 6 Indemnification ................................................ 10
Article 7 Standard of Care................................................ 14
Article 8 Covenants of the Fund and the Bank.............................. 14
Article 9 Termination of Agreement ....................................... 16
Article 10 Additional Funds .............................................. 16
Article 11 Assignment .................................................... 17
Article 12 Amendment ..................................................... 17
Article 13 Massachusetts Law to Apply..................................... 18
Article 14 Merger of Agreement............................................ 18
Article 15 Limitations of Liability of the Trustees and the
Shareholders .................................................. 18
Article 16 Counterparts .................................................. 18
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of the day of , 1996, by and
between , a Massachusetts business trust,
having its principal office and place of business at
(the "Fund"), and STATE STREET
BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, a Massachusetts trust company
having its principal office and place of business at 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000 (the "Bank").
WHEREAS, the Fund is authorized to issue shares in separate series, with
each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities
and other assets; and
WHEREAS, the Fund has established and will offer and continue to offer
shares in series initially,
(such series, together with all other series subsequently established by the
Fund and made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Article 10, being
herein referred to as a "Portfolio", and collectively as the "Portfolios");
WHEREAS, the Fund on behalf of the Portfolios desires to appoint the Bank
as its transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, custodian of certain
retirement plans and agent in connection with
certain other activities, and the Bank desires to accept such appointment;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained,
the parties hereto agree as follows:
Article 1 TERMS OF APPOINTMENT; DUTIES OF THE BANK
1.01 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement, the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios, hereby employs and appoints
the Bank to act as, and the Bank agrees to act as its transfer agent for the
authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest of the Fund representing
interests in each of the respective Portfolios ("Shares"), dividend disbursing
agent, custodian of certain retirement plans and agent in connection with any
accumulation, open-account or similar plans provided to the shareholders of each
of the respective Portfolios of the Fund ("Shareholders") and set out in the
currently effective prospectus and statement of additional information
("prospectus") of the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, including
without limitation any periodic investment plan or periodic withdrawal program.
1.02 The Bank agrees that it will perform the following services:
(a) In accordance with procedures established from time to time
by agreement between the Fund on behalf of each of the Portfolios, as applicable
and the Bank, the Bank shall:
(i) Receive orders for the purchase of Shares, and promptly
deliver payment and appropriate documentation thereof to the
Custodian of the Fund
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authorized pursuant to the Declaration of Trust of the Fund
(the "Custodian");
(ii) Pursuant to purchase orders, issue the appropriate number of
Shares and hold such Shares in the appropriate Shareholder
account;
(iii) Receive redemption requests and redemption directions and
deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to the
Custodian;
(iv) At the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid
to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, pay
over or cause to be paid over in the appropriate manner such
monies as instructed by the redeeming Shareholders;
(v) Effect transfers of Shares by the registered owners thereof
upon receipt of appropriate instructions;
(vi) Prepare and transmit payments for dividends and
distributions declared by the Fund on behalf of the
applicable Portfolio;
(vii) Report abandoned property to the various states as
authorized by the Fund per policies and principles agreed
upon by the Fund and the Bank;
(viii) Maintain records of account for and advise the Fund and its
Shareholders as to the foregoing; and
(ix) Record the issuance of Shares of the Fund and maintain
pursuant to SEC Rule 17Ad-10(e) a record of the total number
of Shares which are authorized,
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based upon data provided to it by the Fund, and issued and
outstanding. The Bank shall also provide the Fund on a
regular basis with the total number of Shares which are
authorized and issued and outstanding and shall have no
obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to
monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of
any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which
functions shall be the sole responsibility of the Fund.
(b) In addition to and neither in lieu nor in contravention of
the services set forth in the above paragraph (a), the Bank shall: (i) perform
the customary services of a transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, custodian
of certain retirement plans and, as relevant, agent in connection with
accumulation, open-account or similar plans (including without limitation any
periodic investment plan or periodic withdrawal program), including but not
limited to: maintaining all Shareholder accounts, preparing Shareholder meeting
lists, mailing proxies, mailing Shareholder reports and prospectuses to current
Shareholders, withholding taxes on U.S. resident and non-resident alien
accounts, preparing and filing U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other
appropriate forms required with respect to dividends and distributions by
federal authorities for all Shareholders, preparing and mailing confirmation
forms and statements of account to Shareholders for all purchases and
redemptions of Shares and
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other confirmable transactions in Shareholder accounts, preparing and mailing
activity statements for Shareholders, and providing Shareholder account
information and (ii) provide a system which will enable the Fund to monitor the
total number of Shares sold in each State.
(c) In addition, the Fund shall (i) identify to the Bank in
writing those transactions and assets to be treated as exempt from blue sky
reporting for each State and (ii) verify the establishment of transactions for
each State on the system prior to activation and thereafter monitor the daily
activity for each State. The responsibility of the Bank for the Fund's blue sky
State registration status is solely limited to providing the system referred to
above, the initial establishment of transactions subject to blue sky compliance
by the Fund and the reporting of such transactions to the Fund as provided
above.
(d) Procedures as to who shall provide certain of these services
in Article 1 may be established from time to time by agreement between the Fund
on behalf of each Portfolio and the Bank per the attached service responsibility
schedule. The Bank may at times perform only a portion of these services and
the Fund or its agent may perform these services on the Fund's behalf.
Article 2 FEES AND EXPENSES
2.01 For performance by the Bank pursuant to this Agreement, the
Fund agrees on behalf of each of the Portfolios to pay the Bank an annual
maintenance fee for each Shareholder account as set out in the initial fee
schedule attached hereto. Such fees
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and out-of-pocket expenses and advances identified under Section 2.02 below may
be changed from time to time subject to mutual written agreement between the
Fund and the Bank.
2.02 In addition to the fee paid under Section 2.01 above, the
Fund agrees on behalf of each of the Portfolios to reimburse the Bank for out-
of-pocket expenses, including but not limited to confirmation production,
postage, forms, telephone, microfilm, microfiche, tabulating proxies, records
storage or advances incurred by the Bank for the items set out in the fee
schedule attached hereto. In addition, any other expenses incurred by the Bank
at the request or with the consent of the Fund, will be reimbursed by the Fund
on behalf of the applicable Portfolio.
2.03 The Fund agrees on behalf of each of the Portfolios to pay
all fees and reimbursable expenses promptly following the receipt of the
respective billing notice. Procedures applicable to advance payment by the Fund
to the Bank of postage for mailing dividends, proxies, Fund reports and other
mailings to Shareholder accounts may be established from time to time by
agreement between the Fund and the Bank.
Article 3 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BANK
The Bank represents and warrants to the Fund that:
3.01 It is a trust company duly organized and existing and in
good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
3.02 It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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3.03 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Charter and
By-Laws to enter into and perform this Agreement.
3.04 All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to
authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement.
3.05 It has and will continue to have access to the necessary
facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under
this Agreement.
Article 4 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE FUND
The Fund represents and warrants to the Bank that:
4.01 It is a business trust duly organized and existing and in good
standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
4.02 It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Declaration of
Trust and By-Laws to enter into and perform this Agreement.
4.03 All corporate proceedings required by said Declaration of Trust and
By-Laws have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this
Agreement.
4.04 It is an open-end management investment company registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
4.05 A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended on behalf of each of the Portfolios is currently effective and will
remain effective, and appropriate state securities law filings have been made
and the Fund will use its best efforts to continue to make such filings with
respect to all Shares of the Fund being offered for sale.
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Article 5 DATA ACCESS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
5.01 The Fund acknowledges that the data bases, computer
programs, screen format, report formats, interactive design techniques, and
documentation manuals (collectively, "Proprietary Information") furnished to the
Fund by the Bank as part of the Fund's ability to access certain Fund-related
data ("Customer Data") maintained by the Bank on data bases under the control
and ownership of the Bank or other third party ("Data Access Services")
constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information of
substantial value to the Bank or other third party. In no event shall
Proprietary Information be deemed Customer Data. The Fund agrees to treat all
Proprietary Information as proprietary to the Bank and further agrees that it
shall not divulge any Proprietary Information to any person or organization
except as may be provided hereunder. Without limiting the foregoing, the Fund
agrees for itself and its employees and agents:
(a) to access Customer Data solely from locations as may be
designated in writing by the Bank and solely in accordance
with the Bank's applicable user documentation;
(b) to refrain from copying or duplicating in any way the
Proprietary Information;
(c) to refrain from obtaining unauthorized access to any portion
of the Proprietary Information, and if such access is
inadvertently obtained, to inform in a timely manner of such
fact and dispose of such
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information in accordance with the Bank's instructions;
(d) to refrain from causing or allowing third-party data
required hereunder from being retransmitted to any other
computer facility or other location, except with the prior
written consent of the Bank;
(e) that the Fund shall have access only to those authorized
transactions agreed upon by the parties;
(f) to honor all reasonable written requests made by the Bank to
protect at the Bank's expense the rights of the Bank in
Proprietary Information at common law, under federal
copyright law and under other federal or state law.
Each party shall take reasonable efforts to advise its employees of
their obligations pursuant to this Article 5. The obligations of this Article
shall survive any earlier termination of this Agreement.
5.02 If the Fund notifies the Bank that any of the Data Access
Services do not operate in material compliance with the most recently issued
user documentation for such services, the Bank shall use its best efforts to
promptly correct such failure. Organizations from which the Bank may obtain
certain data included in the Data Access Services are solely responsible for the
contents of such data and the Fund agrees to make no claim against the Bank
arising out of the contents of such third-party data, including, but not limited
to, the accuracy thereof. DATA ACCESS SERVICES AND
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ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS IS, AS AVAILABLE BASIS. THE BANK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL
WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
5.03 If the transactions available to the Fund include the
ability to originate electronic instructions to the Bank in order to (i) effect
the transfer or movement of cash or Shares or (ii) transmit Shareholder
information or other information (such transactions are known as "Customer
Originated Electronic Financial Instructions" or "COEFI"), then in such event
the Bank shall be entitled to rely on the validity and authenticity of such
instruction without undertaking any further inquiry as long as such instruction
is undertaken in conformity with security procedures established by the Bank
from time to time.
Article 6 INDEMNIFICATION
6.01 The Bank shall not be responsible for, and the Fund shall on
behalf of the applicable Portfolio indemnify and hold the Bank harmless from and
against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees,
payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to any claim,
demand, action or suit in connection with:
(a) All actions of the Bank or its agent or subcontractors
required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that such actions are
taken in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct.
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(b) The Fund's lack of good faith, negligence or willful
misconduct which arise out of the breach of any representation or warranty of
the Fund hereunder.
(c) The reliance on or use by the Bank or its agents or
subcontractors of information, records, documents or services which (i) are
received by the Bank or its agents or subcontractors, and (ii) have been
prepared, maintained or performed by the Fund or any other person or firm on
behalf of the Fund.
(d) The reliance on, or the carrying out by the Bank or its
agents or subcontractors of any instructions or requests of the Fund on behalf
of the applicable Portfolio.
(e) The offer or sale of Shares in violation of any requirement
under the federal securities laws or regulations or the securities laws or
regulations of any state that such Shares be registered in such state or in
violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal
agency or any state with respect to the offer or sale of such Shares in such
state unless any such violation results from failure of the system provided by
the Bank to Section 1.02 (b) to operate properly.
6.02 The Bank shall indemnify and hold the Fund harmless from and
against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees,
payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to any action or
failure or omission to act by the Bank as a result of the Bank's lack of good
faith, negligence or willful misconduct.
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6.03 At any time the Bank may apply to any officer of the Fund
for instructions, and may consult with legal counsel with respect to any matter
arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Bank under this
Agreement, and the Bank and its agents or subcontractors shall not be liable and
shall be indemnified by the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolio for any
action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon such instructions or upon the
opinion of such counsel. The Bank, its agents and subcontractors shall be
protected and indemnified in acting upon any paper or document furnished by or
on behalf of the Fund, reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed
by the proper person or persons, or upon any instruction, information, data,
records or documents provided the Bank or its agents or subcontractors by
machine readable input, telex, CRT data entry or other similar means authorized
by the Fund, and shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of
any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Fund. The Bank,
its agents and subcontractors shall also be protected and indemnified in
recognizing stock certificates which are reasonably believed to bear the proper
manual or facsimile signatures of the officers of the Fund, and the proper
countersignature of any former transfer agent or former registrar, or of a co-
transfer agent or co-registrar.
6.04 In the event either party is unable to perform its
obligations under the terms of this Agreement because of acts of God, strikes,
equipment or transmission failure or damage
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reasonably beyond its control, or other causes reasonably beyond its control,
such party shall not be liable for damages to the other for any damages
resulting from such failure to perform or otherwise from such causes, provided
that the Bank shall use its best efforts to minimize the likelihood of all
damage, loss of data, delays and errors resulting from uncontrollable events,
and if such damage, loss of data, delays or errors occur, the Bank shall use its
best efforts to mitigate the effects of such occurrence.
6.05 Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other
party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement or for any
consequential damages arising out of any act or failure to act hereunder.
6.06 In order that the indemnification provisions contained in
this Article 6 shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which either party
may be required to indemnify the other, the party seeking indemnification shall
promptly notify the other party of such assertion, and shall keep the other
party advised with respect to all developments concerning such claim. The party
who may be required to indemnify shall have the option to participate with the
party seeking indemnification in the defense of such claim. The party seeking
indemnification shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any
case in which the other party may be required to indemnify it except with the
other party's prior written consent.
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Article 7 STANDARD OF CARE
7.01 The Bank shall at all times act in good faith and agrees to
use its best efforts within reasonable limits to insure the accuracy of all
services performed under this Agreement, but assumes no responsibility and shall
not be liable for loss or damage due to errors unless said errors are caused by
its negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct or that of its employees.
Article 8 COVENANTS OF THE FUND AND THE BANK
8.01 The Fund shall on behalf of each of the Portfolios promptly
furnish to the Bank the following:
(a) A certified copy of the resolution of the Trustees of the
Fund authorizing the appointment of the Bank and the execution and delivery of
this Agreement.
(b) A copy of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Fund
and all amendments thereto.
8.02 The Bank hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities
and procedures reasonably acceptable to the Fund for safekeeping of stock
certificates, check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if any;
and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such certificates,
forms and devices. The forms and documents used for the Fund or its
Shareholders shall be acceptable to the Fund.
8.03 The Bank shall keep records relating to the services to be
performed hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable and as may
be reasonably acceptable to the Fund. To the
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extent required by Section 31 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
and the Rules thereunder, the Bank agrees that all such records prepared or
maintained by the Bank relating to the services to be performed by the Bank
hereunder are the property of the Fund and will be preserved, maintained and
made available in accordance with such Section and Rules, and will be
surrendered promptly to the Fund on and in accordance with its request.
8.04 The Bank and the Fund agree that all books, records,
information and data pertaining to the business of the other party which are
exchanged or received pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this
Agreement shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to
any other person, except as may be required by law. Notice shall be given to
the other party a reasonable time in advance of any such disclosure. In
addition, in the case of any request or demand for the inspection of the
Shareholder records of the Fund, the Bank will notify the Fund promptly of
receipt of such request or demand and request instructions from an authorized
officer of the Fund as to such inspection. The Fund will, within two business
days, furnish instructions to the Bank. Pending receipt of such instructions,
the Bank will not disclose such Shareholder records and upon receipt the Bank
will abide by such instructions. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, in the event that (i) the Fund instructs the Bank not to disclose
such Shareholder records and the Bank has furnished the Fund with an opinion of
counsel that the Bank may be held liable for the failure to disclose such
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Shareholder records, the Fund will indemnify the Bank for any such liability, or
(ii) the Bank discloses such Shareholder records without proper instructions
from the Fund, the Bank shall indemnify and hold the Fund harmless from and
against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees,
payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to such
disclosure. The provision of Section 6.06 shall govern such indemnification.
Article 9 TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT
9.01 This Agreement may be terminated by either party upon one
hundred twenty (120) days written notice to the other.
9.02 Should the Fund exercise its right to terminate, all out-of-
pocket expenses associated with the movement of records and material will be
borne by the Fund on behalf of the applicable Portfolio(s). Additionally, the
Bank reserves the right to charge for any other reasonable expenses associated
with such termination.
Article 10 ADDITIONAL FUNDS
10.01 In the event that the Fund establishes one or more series of
Shares in addition to
with respect to which it desires to have the Bank render services as
transfer agent under the terms hereof, it shall so
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notify the Bank in writing, and if the Bank agrees in writing to provide such
services, such series of Shares shall become a Portfolio hereunder.
Article 11 ASSIGNMENT
11.01 Except as provided in Section 11.03 below, neither this
Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either
party without the written consent of the other party.
11.02 This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding
upon the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
11.03 The Bank may, without further consent on the part of the Fund,
subcontract for the performance hereof with (i) Boston Financial Data Services,
Inc., a Massachusetts corporation ("BFDS") which is duly registered as a
transfer agent pursuant to Section 17A(c)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended ("Section 17A(c)(1)"), (ii) a BFDS subsidiary duly registered
as a transfer agent pursuant to Section 17A(c)(1) or (iii) a BFDS affiliate;
provided, however, that the Bank shall be as fully responsible to the Fund for
the acts and omissions of any subcontractor as it is for its own acts and
omissions.
Article 12 AMENDMENT
12.01 This Agreement may be amended or modified by a written
agreement executed by both parties and authorized or approved by a resolution of
the Trustees of the Fund.
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Article 13 MASSACHUSETTS LAW TO APPLY
13.01 This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
Article 14 MERGER OF AGREEMENT
14.01 This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject
matter hereof whether oral or written.
Article 15 LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY OF THE TRUSTEES AND THE
SHAREHOLDERS
15.01 A copy of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust is on file
with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and notice is hereby
given that this instrument is executed on behalf of the Trustees of the Trust as
Trustees and not individually and that the obligations of this instrument are
not binding upon any of the Trustees or Shareholders individually but are
binding only upon the assets and property of the Fund. Article 16 COUNTERPARTS
16.01 This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any
number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be
deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly
authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
BY:
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XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX & TRUST COMPANY
FUND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES*
RESPONSIBILITY
SERVICE PERFORMED BANK FUND
- ----------------- ---- ----
1. Receives orders for the purchase of Shares. X
2. Issue Shares and hold Shares in Shareholders accounts. X
3. Receive redemption requests. X
4. Effect transactions 1-3 above directly with broker-dealers. N/A
5. Pay over monies to redeeming Shareholders. X
6. Effect transfers of Shares. X
7. Prepare and transmit dividends and distributions. X
8. Issue Replacement Certificates. N/A
9. Reporting of abandoned property. X
10. Maintain records of account. X
11. Maintain and keep a current and accurate control book
for each issue of securities. X
12. Mail proxies. X
13. Mail Shareholder reports. X
14. Mail prospectuses to current Shareholders. X
15. Withhold taxes on U.S. resident and non-resident alien
accounts. X
16. Prepare and file U.S. Treasury Department forms. X
17. Prepare and mail account and confirmation statements for
Shareholders. X
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RESPONSIBILITY
SERVICE PERFORMED BANK FUND
- ----------------- ---- ----
18. Provide Shareholder account information. X
19. Blue sky reporting. X
* Such services are more fully described in Article 1.02 (a), (b) and (c) of
the Agreement.
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
BY:
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[insert fee schedule]
