Exhibit 23(m)(i)
AMENDED AND RESTATED
SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT
with
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
For Class A Shares of
Xxxxxxxxxxx High Yield Fund
This Amended and Restated SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT (the "Plan") is dated as of
the 26th day of April, 2004, by and between Xxxxxxxxxxx High Yield Fund (the
"Fund") and OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. (the "Distributor").
1. The Plan. This Plan is the Fund's written service plan for its Class A Shares
described in the Fund's registration statement as of the date this Plan takes
effect, contemplated by and to comply with Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., pursuant to which the Fund
will reimburse the Distributor for a portion of its costs incurred in connection
with the personal service and maintenance of shareholder accounts ("Accounts")
that hold Class A Shares (the "Shares") of the Fund. The Fund may be deemed to
be acting as distributor of securities of which it is the issuer, pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), according
to the terms of this Plan. The Distributor is authorized under the Plan to pay
"Recipients," as hereinafter defined, for rendering services and for the
maintenance of Accounts. Such Recipients are intended to have certain rights as
third-party beneficiaries under this Plan.
2. Definitions. As used in this Plan, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
(a) "Recipient" shall mean any broker, dealer, bank or other institution which:
(i) has rendered services in connection with the personal service and
maintenance of Accounts; (ii) shall furnish the Distributor (on behalf of the
Fund) with such information as the Distributor shall reasonably request to
answer such questions as may arise concerning such service; and (iii) has been
selected by the Distributor to receive payments under the Plan. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees (the "Board") who are
not "interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) and who have no direct or
indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or in any agreements
relating to this Plan (the "Independent Trustees") may remove any broker,
dealer, bank or other institution as a Recipient, whereupon such entity's rights
as a third-party beneficiary hereof shall terminate.
(b) "Qualified Holdings" shall mean, as to any Recipient, all Shares owned
beneficially or of record by: (i) such Recipient, or (ii) such brokerage or
other customers, or investment advisory or other clients of such Recipient
and/or accounts as to which such Recipient is a fiduciary or custodian or
co-fiduciary or co-custodian (collectively, the "Customers"), but in no event
shall any such Shares be deemed owned by more than one Recipient for purposes of
this Plan. In the event that two entities would otherwise qualify as Recipients
as to the same Shares, the Recipient which is the dealer of record on the Fund's
books shall be deemed the Recipient as to such Shares for purposes of this Plan.
3. Payments.
(a) Under the Plan, the Fund will make payments to the Distributor, within
forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, in the amount of the
lesser of: (i) 0.25% on an annual basis of the average during the calendar
quarter of the aggregate net asset value of the Shares, computed as of the close
of each business day, or (ii) the Distributor's actual expenses under the Plan
for that quarter of the type approved by the Board. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Fund will not make payments to the Distributor in excess of the
amount the Distributor pays to Recipients. The Distributor will use such fee
received from the Fund in its entirety to reimburse itself for payments to
Recipients and for its other expenditures and costs of the type approved by the
Board incurred in connection with the personal service and maintenance of
Accounts including, but not limited to, the services described in the following
paragraph. The Distributor may make Plan payments to any "affiliated person" (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Distributor if such affiliated person qualifies
as a Recipient.
The services to be rendered by the Distributor and Recipients in connection
with the personal service and the maintenance of Accounts may include, but shall
not be limited to, the following: answering routine inquiries from the
Recipient's customers concerning the Fund, providing such customers with
information on their investment in Shares, assisting in the establishment and
maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in the Fund, making the Fund's
investment plans and dividend payment options available, and providing such
other information and customer liaison services and the maintenance of Accounts
as the Distributor or the Fund may reasonably request. It may be presumed that a
Recipient has provided services qualifying for compensation under the Plan if it
has Qualified Holdings of Shares to entitle it to payments under the Plan. In
the event that either the Distributor or the Board should have reason to believe
that, notwithstanding the level of Qualified Holdings, a Recipient may not be
rendering appropriate services, then the Distributor, at the request of the
Board, shall require the Recipient to provide a written report or other
information to verify that said Recipient is providing appropriate services in
this regard. If the Distributor still is not satisfied, it may take appropriate
steps to terminate the Recipient's status as such under the Plan, whereupon such
entity's rights as a third-party beneficiary hereunder shall terminate.
Payments received by the Distributor from the Fund under the Plan will not
be used to pay any interest expense, carrying charges or other financial costs,
or allocation of overhead by the Distributor, or for any other purpose other
than for the payments described in this Section 3. The amount payable to the
Distributor each quarter will be reduced to the extent that reimbursement
payments otherwise permissible under the Plan have not been authorized by the
Board for that quarter. Any unreimbursed expenses incurred for any quarter by
the Distributor may not be recovered in later periods.
(b) The Distributor shall make payments to any Recipient quarterly, within
forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, at a rate not to
exceed 0.25% on an annual basis of the average during the calendar quarter of
the aggregate net asset value of the Shares computed as of the close of each
business day, of Qualified Holdings owned beneficially or of record by the
Recipient or by its Customers. However, no such payments shall be made to any
Recipient for any such quarter in which its Qualified Holdings do not equal or
exceed, at the end of such quarter, the minimum amount ("Minimum Qualified
Holdings"), if any, to be set from time to time by a majority of the Independent
Trustees.
Alternatively, the Distributor may, at its sole option, make the following
service fee payments to any Recipient quarterly, within forty-five (45) days of
the end of each calendar quarter: (A) "Advance Service Fee Payments" at a rate
not to exceed 0.25% of the average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate
net asset value of Shares, computed as of the close of business on the day such
Shares are sold, constituting Qualified Holdings, sold by the Recipient during
that quarter and owned beneficially or of record by the Recipient or by its
Customers, plus (B) service fee payments at a rate not to exceed 0.25% on an
annual basis of the average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net
asset value of Shares, computed as of the close of each business day,
constituting Qualified Holdings owned beneficially or of record by the Recipient
or by its Customers for a period of more than one (1) year. At the Distributor's
sole option, Advance Service Fee Payments may be made more often than quarterly,
and sooner than the end of the calendar quarter. In the event Shares are
redeemed less than one year after the date such Shares were sold, the Recipient
is obligated to and will repay the Distributor on demand a pro rata portion of
such Advance Service Fee Payments, based on the ratio of the time such Shares
were held to one (1) year.
A majority of the Independent Trustees may at any time or from time to time
increase or decrease and thereafter adjust the rate of fees to be paid to the
Distributor or to any Recipient, but not to exceed the rate set forth above,
and/or increase or decrease the number of shares constituting Minimum Qualified
Holdings. The Distributor shall notify all Recipients of the Minimum Qualified
Holdings and the rate of payments hereunder applicable to Recipients, and shall
provide each Recipient with written notice within thirty (30) days after any
change in these provisions. Inclusion of such provisions or a change in such
provisions in a revised current prospectus shall constitute sufficient notice.
(c) Under the Plan, payments may be made to Recipients: (i) by
OppenheimerFunds, Inc. ("OFI") from its own resources (which may include profits
derived from the advisory fee it receives from the Fund), or (ii) by the
Distributor (a subsidiary of OFI), from its own resources.
4. Selection and Nomination of Trustees. While this Plan is in effect, the
selection or replacement of Independent Trustees and the nomination of those
persons to be Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" of the Fund
shall be committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees. Nothing herein
shall prevent the Independent Trustees from soliciting the views or the
involvement of others in such selection or nomination if the final decision on
any such selection and nomination is approved by a majority of the incumbent
Independent Trustees.
5. Reports. While this Plan is in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall
provide at least quarterly a written report to the Fund's Board for its review,
detailing the aggregate amount of payments made pursuant to this Plan and the
purposes for which the payments were made. The report shall state whether all
provisions of Section 3 of this Plan have been complied with. The Distributor
shall annually certify to the Board the amount of its total expenses incurred
that year with respect to the personal service and maintenance of Accounts in
conjunction with the Board's annual review of the continuation of the Plan.
6. Related Agreements. Any agreement related to this Plan shall be in writing
and shall provide that: (i) such agreement may be terminated at any time,
without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Independent
Trustees or by a vote of the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the 0000
Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities of the Class, on not more than
sixty days written notice to any other party to the agreement; (ii) such
agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment" (as
defined in the 1940 Act); (iii) it shall go into effect when approved by a vote
of the Board and its Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such agreement; and (iv) it shall, unless terminated as
herein provided, continue in effect from year to year only so long as such
continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board and its
Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such continuance.
7. Effectiveness, Continuation, Termination and Amendment. This Plan has been
approved by a vote of the Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting
called on April 26, 2004 for the purpose of voting on this Plan. Unless
terminated as hereinafter provided, it shall continue in effect until renewed by
the Board in accordance with the Rule and thereafter from year to year
thereafter or as the Board may otherwise determine only so long as such
continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board and its
Independent Trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such continuance. This Plan may be terminated at any time
by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders
of a "majority" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities of Class A. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the
amount of payments to be made without approval of the Class A Shareholders, in
the manner described above, and all material amendments must be approved by a
vote of the Board and of the Independent Trustees.
8. Disclaimer of Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The Distributor understands
that the obligations of the Fund under this Plan are not binding upon any
Trustee or shareholder of the Fund personally, but bind only the Fund and the
Fund's property. The Distributor represents that it has notice of the provisions
of the Declaration of Trust of the Fund disclaiming shareholder and Trustee
liability for acts or obligations of the Fund.
Xxxxxxxxxxx High Yield Fund
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxx
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Xxxx X. Xxx, Assistant Secretary
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
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Xxxxx X. Xxxx
President
