BY-LAWS
OF
DREYFUS VARIABLE INVESTMENT FUND
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 above-
captioned 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 New York, New York. Its resident
agent in Massachusetts shall be CT Corporation System, 0 Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx, or such other person as the
Trustees from time to time may select.
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 from time to time may 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 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 of Special Meetings. 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. Notice of Certain Actions by Consent. If in
accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust any
action is taken by the Trustees by a written consent of less than
all of the Trustees, then prompt notice of any such action shall
be furnished to each Trustee who did not execute such written
consent, provided that the effectiveness of such action shall not
be impaired by any delay or failure to furnish such notice.
ARTICLE 3
Officers
3.1. Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the
Trust shall be a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such
other officers, if any, as the Trustees from time to time may in
their discretion elect. The Trust also may have such agents as
the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion appoint.
An officer may be but need not be a Trustee or shareholder. Any
two or more offices may be held by the same person.
3.2. Election. The President, the Treasurer and the
Secretary shall be elected by the Trustees upon the occurrence of
any vacancy in any such office. Other officers, if any, may be
elected or appointed by the Trustees at any time. Vacancies in
any such other office may be filled at any time.
3.3. Tenure. The President, Treasurer and Secretary
shall hold office 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 commonly are incident to the office occupied
by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a Massachusetts
business corporation or such other duties and powers as the
Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.5. President. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide,
the President shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders
and of the Trustees. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, 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, 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, shall 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 therefor, 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 President or 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
4.1. Appointment. The Trustees may appoint from their
number an executive committee and other committees. Except as the
Trustees otherwise may determine, any such committee may make
rules for conduct of its business.
4.2. Quorum; Voting. A majority of the members of any
Committee of the Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business, and any action of such a Committee may be
taken at a meeting by a vote of a majority of the members present
(a quorum being present).
ARTICLE 5
Reports
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
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Trust shall be fixed, and shall
be subject to change, by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE 7
Seal
The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced die
with the word "Massachusetts," together with the 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 in 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 8
Execution of Papers
Except as the Trustees generally or in particular cases
may 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 9
Issuance of Share Certificates
9.1. Sale of Shares. Except as otherwise determined by
the Trustees, the Trust will issue and sell for cash or securities
from time to time, full and fractional shares of its shares of
beneficial interest, such shares to be issued and sold at a price
of not less than net asset value per share as from time to time
determined in accordance with the Declaration of Trust and these
By-Laws and, in the case of fractional shares, at a proportionate
reduction in such price. In the case of shares sold for
securities, such securities shall be valued in accordance with the
provisions for determining value of assets of the Trust as stated
in the Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws. The officers of
the Trust are severally authorized to take all such actions as may
be necessary or desirable to carry out this Section 9.1.
9.2. Share Certificates. In lieu of issuing
certificates for shares, the Trustees or the transfer agent either
may issue receipts therefor or may keep accounts upon the books of
the Trust for the record holders of such shares, who shall in
either case, for all purposes hereunder, be deemed 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 at any time may 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
Vice President and by the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer. Such
signatures may be facsimile if the certificate is signed by a
transfer agent, or by a registrar, other than a Trustee, officer
or 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 or she
were such officer at the time of its issue.
9.3. Loss of Certificates. The Trust, or if any
transfer agent is appointed for the Trust, the transfer agent with
the approval of any two officers of the Trust, is authorized to
issue and countersign replacement certificates for the shares of
the Trust which have been lost, stolen or destroyed subject to the
deposit of a bond or other indemnity in such form and with such
security, if any, as the Trustees may require.
9.4. Discontinuance of Issuance of Certificates. The
Trustees at any time may discontinue the issuance of share
certificates and by written notice to each shareholder, may
require the surrender of share certificates to the Trust for
cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect
the ownership of shares in the Trust.
ARTICLE 10
Indemnification
10.1. Trustees, Officers, etc. The Trust shall
indemnify each of its Trustees and officers (including persons who
serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of
another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a
shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (hereinafter referred to as a
"Covered Person") against all liabilities and expenses, including
but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in
compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees reasonably
incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or
disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil
or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative
body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been
involved as a party or otherwise or with which such person may be
or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by
reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, except
with respect to any matter as to which such Covered Person shall
have been finally adjudicated in a decision on the merits in any
such action, suit or other proceeding not to have acted in good
faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action
was in the best interests of the Trust and except that no Covered
Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or
its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be
subject by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of such Covered Person's office. Expenses, including
counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding
amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as
fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by the Trust in
advance of the final disposition or any such action, suit or
proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such
Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to the Trust if it is
ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not
authorized under this Article, provided that (a) such Covered
Person shall provide security for his undertaking, (b) the Trust
shall be insured against losses arising by reason of such Covered
Person's failure to fulfill his undertaking, or (c) a majority of
the Trustees who are disinterested persons and who are not
Interested Persons (as that term is defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940) (provided that a majority of such Trustees
then in office act on the matter), or independent legal counsel in
a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily
available facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry), that there is
reason to believe such Covered Person ultimately will be entitled
to indemnification.
10.2. Compromise Payment. As to any matter disposed
of (whether by a compromise payment, pursuant to a consent decree
or otherwise) without an adjudication in a decision on the merits
by a court, or by any other body before which the proceeding was
brought, that such Covered Person either (a) did not act in good
faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action
was in the best interests of the Trust or (b) is liable to the
Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office,
indemnification shall be provided if (a) approved as in the best
interest of the Trust, after notice that it involves such
indemnification, by at least a majority of the Trustees who are
disinterested persons and are not Interested Persons (provided
that a majority of such Trustees then in office act on the
matter), upon a determination, based upon a review of readily
available facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry) that such
Covered Person acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that
such Covered Person's action was in the best interests of the
Trust and is not liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason
of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered
Person's office, or (b) there has been obtained an opinion in
writing of independent legal counsel, based upon a review of
readily available facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry) to the
effect that such Covered Person appears to have acted in good
faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action
was in the best interests of the Trust and that such
indemnification would not protect such Covered Person against any
liability to the Trust to which such Covered Person would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
the conduct of his office. Any approval pursuant to this Section
shall not prevent the recovery from any Covered Person of any
amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance with this Section
as indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently
adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction not to have acted
in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's
action was in the best interests of the Trust or to have been
liable to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's
office.
10.3. Indemnification Not Exclusive. The right of
indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or
affect any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be
entitled. As used in this Article 10, the term "Covered Person"
shall include such person's heirs, executors and administrators,
and a "disinterested person" is a person against whom none of the
actions, suits or other proceedings in question or another action,
suit, or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then
or has been pending. Nothing contained in this article shall
affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel of the
Trust, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be
entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the
Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of
such person.
10.4. Limitation. Notwithstanding any provisions in
the Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws pertaining to
indemnification, all such provisions are limited by the following
undertaking set forth in the rules promulgated by the Securities
and Exchange Commission:
In the event that a claim for
indemnification is asserted by a
Trustee, officer or controlling person
of the Trust in connection with the
registered securities of the Trust, the
Trust will not make such indemnification
unless (i) the Trust has submitted,
before a court or other body, the
question of whether the person to be
indemnified was liable by reason of
wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of
duties, and has obtained a final
decision on the merits that such person
was not liable by reason of such conduct
or (ii) in the absence of such decision,
the Trust shall have obtained a
reasonable determination, based upon a
review of the facts, that such person
was not liable by virtue of such
conduct, by (a) the vote of a majority
of Trustees who are neither interested
persons as such term is defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, nor
parties to the proceeding or (b) an
independent legal counsel in a written
opinion.
The Trust will not advance
attorneys' fees or other expenses
incurred by the person to be indemnified
unless the Trust shall have (i) received
an undertaking by or on behalf of such
person to repay the advance unless it is
ultimately determined that such person
is entitled to indemnification and one
of the following conditions shall have
occurred: (x) such person shall provide
security for his undertaking, (y) the
Trust shall be insured against losses
arising by reason of any lawful advances
or (z) a majority of the disinterested,
non-party Trustees of the Trust, or an
independent legal counsel in a written
opinion, shall have determined that
based on a review of readily available
facts there is reason to believe that
such person ultimately will be found
entitled to indemnification.
ARTICLE 11
Shareholders
11.1. Meetings. A meeting of the shareholders shall
be called by the Secretary whenever ordered by the Trustees, or
requested in writing by the holder or holders of at least 10% of
the outstanding shares entitled to vote at such meeting. If the
meeting is a meeting of the shareholders of one or more series or
class of shares, but not a meeting of all shareholders of the
Trust, then only the shareholders of such one or more series or
classes shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting.
If the Secretary, when so ordered or requested, refuses or
neglects for more than five days to call such meeting, the
Trustees, or the shareholders so requesting may, in the name of
the Secretary, call the meeting by giving notice thereof in the
manner required when notice is given by the Secretary.
11.2. Access to Shareholder List. Shareholders of
record may apply to the Trustees for assistance in communicating
with other shareholders for the purpose of calling a meeting in
order to vote upon the question of removal of a Trustee. When ten
or more shareholders of record who have been such for at least six
months preceding the date of application and who hold in the
aggregate shares having a net asset value of at least $25,000 or
at least 1% of the outstanding shares, whichever is less, so
apply, the Trustees shall within five business days either:
(i) afford to such applicants access to a list of
names and addresses of all shareholders as recorded on the books
of the Trust; or
(ii) inform such applicants of the approximate
number of shareholders of record and the approximate cost of
mailing material to them and, within a reasonable time thereafter,
mail, materials submitted by the applicants, to all such
shareholders of record. The Trustees shall not be obligated to
mail materials which they believe to be misleading or in violation
of applicable law.
11.3. Record Dates. For the purpose of determining
the shareholders of any series or class 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 from time to time may fix a time, which
shall be not more than 90 days before the date of any meeting of
shareholders or the date of payment of any dividend or of any
other distribution, as the record date for determining the
shareholders of such series or class having the right to notice of
and to vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof or the
right to receive such dividend or 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 part of such period.
11.4. Place of Meetings. All meetings of the
shareholders shall be held at the principal office of the Trust or
at such other place within the United States as shall be
designated by the Trustees or the President of the Trust.
11.5. Notice of Meetings. A written notice of each
meeting of shareholders, stating the place, date and hour and the
purposes of the meeting, shall be given at least ten days before
the meeting to each shareholder entitled to vote thereat by
leaving such notice with him or at his residence or usual place of
business or by mailing it, postage prepaid, and addressed to such
shareholder at his address as it appears in the records of the
Trust. Such notice shall be given by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary or by an officer designated by the Trustees.
No notice of any meeting of shareholders need be given to a
shareholder if a written waiver of notice, executed before or
after the meeting by such shareholder or his attorney thereunto
duly authorized, is filed with the records of the meeting.
11.6. Ballots. No ballot shall be required for any
election unless requested by a shareholder present or represented
at the meeting and entitled to vote in the election.
11.7. Proxies. Shareholders entitled to vote may
vote either in person or by proxy in writing dated not more than
six months before the meeting named therein, which proxies shall
be filed with the Secretary or other person responsible to record
the proceedings of the meeting before being voted. Unless
otherwise specifically limited by their terms, such proxies shall
entitle the holders thereof to vote at any adjournment of such
meeting but shall not be valid after the final adjournment of such
meeting. The placing of a shareholder's name on a proxy pursuant
to telephonic or electronically transmitted instructions obtained
pursuant to procedures reasonably designed to verify that such
instructions have been authorized by such shareholder shall
constitute execution of such proxy by or on behalf of such
shareholder.
11.8. Limitation on the Sale of Shares. Shares of
the Trust shall not be sold to individuals and entities other than
Participating Insurance Companies, as defined by the Trustees,
pursuant to variable annuity and variable life insurance
contracts, and Eligible Plans, as defined by the Trustees. Sales
of shares of the Trust to individuals or entities other than
Participating Insurance Companies or Eligible Plans are
unauthorized and shall be deemed invalid and void ab ibnitio.
ARTICLE 12
Amendments to the By-Laws
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.
Dated: April 23, 1987
Amended: June 9, 1997
(..continued)
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0507691.01
0507691.01
