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EXHIBIT 8(b)
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Among
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
and
BANKERS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the _______ day of
________, 1998 by and among BANKERS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK,
(hereinafter the "Company"), a New York corporation, on its own behalf and on
behalf of each segregated asset account of the Company set forth on Schedule A
hereto as may be amended from time to time (each such account hereinafter
referred to as the "Account"), and the VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II, an
unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts (hereinafter the "Fund") and FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
(hereinafter the "Underwriter"), a Massachusetts corporation.
WHEREAS, the Fund engages in business as an open-end management
investment company and is available to act as the investment vehicle for
separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and variable
annuity contracts (collectively, the "Variable Insurance Products") to be
offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements
with the Fund and the Underwriter (hereinafter "Participating Insurance
Companies"); and
WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Fund is divided into several
series of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed
portfolio of securities and other assets, any one or more of which may be made
available under this Agreement, as may be amended from time to time by mutual
agreement of the parties hereto (each such series hereinafter referred to as a
"Portfolio"); and
WHEREAS, the Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and
Exchange Commission, dated September 17, 1986 (File No. 812-6422), granting
Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity and variable life
insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of sections 9(a),
13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
(hereinafter the "1940 Act") and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15)
thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to
and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of
both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (hereinafter the
"Shared Funding Exemptive Order"); and
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WHEREAS, the Fund is registered as an open-end management investment
company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the "1933 Act"); and
WHEREAS, Fidelity Management & Research Company (the "Adviser") is duly
registered as an investment adviser under the federal Investment Advisers Act of
1940 and any applicable state securities law; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register certain variable life
insurance and variable annuity contracts under the 1933 Act; and
WHEREAS, each Account is a duly organized, validly existing segregated
asset account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the
Company, on the date shown for such Account on Schedule A hereto, to set aside
and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid variable annuity or variable
life contracts; and
WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a
unit investment trust under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker dealer with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, (hereinafter the "1934 Act"), and is a member in good standing
of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (hereinafter "NASD");
and
WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and
regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios on behalf
of each Account to fund certain of the aforesaid variable life and variable
annuity contracts and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to unit
investment trusts such as each Account at net asset value;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company,
the Fund and the Underwriter agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Sale of Fund Shares
1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of the
Fund which each Account orders, executing such orders on a daily basis at the
net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its designee of the
order for the shares of the Fund. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company
shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from each Account
and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that
the Fund receives notice of such order by 9:00 a m. Boston time on the next
following Business Day. "Business Day" shall mean any day on which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading
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and on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.2. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely for
purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and its
Accounts on those days on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant
to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Fund shall use
reasonable efforts to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New
York Stock Exchange is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Board of Trustees of the Fund (hereinafter the "Board") may refuse to sell
shares of any Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of
shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or by regulatory
authorities having jurisdiction or is, in the sole discretion of the Board
acting in good faith and in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and
any applicable state laws, necessary in the best interests of the shareholders
of such Portfolio.
1.3. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will be
sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts. No
shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general public.
1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any
insurance company or separate account unless an agreement containing provisions
substantially the same as Articles I, III, V, VII and Section 2.5 of Article II
of this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.
1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company's request, any
full or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such
requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by
the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption. For purposes of this
Section 1.5, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of
requests for redemption from each Account and receipt by such designee shall
constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives notice of such
request for redemption on the next following Business Day.
1.6. The Company agrees that purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares
offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund shall be made in accordance
with the provisions of such prospectus. The Company agrees that all net amounts
available under the variable annuity contracts with the form number(s) which are
listed on Schedule A attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference,
as such Schedule A may be amended from time to time hereafter by mutual written
agreement of all the parties hereto, (the "Contracts") shall be invested in the
Fund, in such other Funds advised by the Adviser as may be mutually agreed to in
writing by the parties hereto, or in the Company's general account, provided
that such amounts may also be invested in an investment company other than the
Fund if (a) such other investment company, or series thereof, has investment
objectives or policies that are substantially different from the investment
objectives and policies of all the Portfolios of the Fund which are actually
used by the Company to fund the Contracts; or (b) the Company gives the Fund and
the Underwriter 45 days written notice of its intention to make such other
investment company available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts; or (c) such
other investment company was available as a funding vehicle for the Contracts
prior to the date of this Agreement and the Company so informs the
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Fund and Underwriter prior to their signing this Agreement (a list of such funds
appearing on Schedule C to this Agreement); or (d) the Fund or Underwriter
consents to the use of such other investment company.
1.7. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after
an order to purchase Fund shares is made in accordance with the provisions of
Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire. For
purpose of Section 2.10 and 2.11, upon receipt by the Fund of the federal funds
so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and
shall become the responsibility of the Fund.
1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund's shares will be by book entry
only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account.
Shares ordered from the Fund will be recorded in an appropriate title for each
Account or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.
1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire or telephone,
followed by written confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or
capital gain distributions payable on the Fund's shares. The Company hereby
elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain distributions as
are payable on the Portfolio shares in additional shares of that Portfolio. The
Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to receive all such
income dividends and capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify
the Company of the number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and
distributions.
1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio
available to the Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after
the net asset value per share is calculated (normally by 6:30 p m. Boston time)
and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available
by 7 p m. Boston time.
ARTICLE II
Representations and Warranties
2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be
registered under the 1933 Act; that the Contracts will be issued and sold in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable Federal and State laws
and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with
state insurance suitability requirements. The Company further represents and
warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing
under applicable law and that it has legally and validly established each
Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated asset account
under Section 4240 of the New York Insurance Code and has registered or, prior
to any issuance or sale of the Contracts, will register each Account as a unit
investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a
segregated investment account for the Contracts.
2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to
this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for
issuance and sold in
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compliance with the laws of the State of New York and all applicable federal and
state securities laws and that the Fund is and shall remain registered under the
0000 Xxx. The Fund shall amend the Registration Statement for its shares under
the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect
the continuous offering of its shares. The Fund shall register and qualify the
shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to
the extent deemed advisable by the Fund or the Underwriter.
2.3. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated
Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, (the "Code") and that it will make every effort to maintain such
qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision) and
that it will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for
believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify in
the future.
2.4. So long as the Fund complies with the diversification requirements
noted in Article VI, the Company represents that the Contracts are currently
treated as endowment, annuity or life insurance contracts, under applicable
provisions of the Code and that it will make every effort to maintain such
treatment and that it will notify the Fund and the Underwriter immediately upon
having a reasonable basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so
treated or that they might not be so treated in the future.
2.5. (a) With respect to Initial Class shares, the Fund currently does not
intend to make any payments to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act or otherwise, although it may make such payments in the
future. The Fund has adopted a "no fee" or "defensive" Rule 12b-1 Plan under
which it makes no payments for distribution expenses. To the extent that it
decides to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund
undertakes to have a board of trustees, a majority of whom are not interested
persons of the Fund, formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance
distribution expenses.
(b) With respect to Service Class shares, the Fund has adopted a
Rule 12b-1 Plan under which it makes payments to finance distribution expenses.
The Fund represents and warrants that it has a board of trustees, a majority of
whom are not interested persons of the Fund, which has formulated and approved
the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan to finance distribution expenses of the Fund and that
any changes to the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan will be approved by a similarly
constituted board of trustees.
2.6. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect of its
operations (including, but not limited to, fees and expenses and investment
policies) complies with the insurance laws or regulations of the various states
except that the Fund represents that the Fund's investment policies, fees and
expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws of the
State of New York and the Fund and the Underwriter represent that their
respective operations are and shall at all times remain in material compliance
with the laws of the State of New York to the extent required to perform this
Agreement.
2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in good
standing of the NASD and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The
Underwriter further represents
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that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares in accordance with the laws of
the State of New York and all applicable state and federal securities laws,
including without limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the 0000 Xxx.
2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly
existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it does
and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act.
2.9. The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Adviser is and shall
remain duly registered in all material respects under all applicable federal and
state securities laws and that the Adviser shall perform its obligations for the
Fund in compliance in all material respects with the laws of the State of New
York and any applicable state and federal securities laws.
2.10. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their
directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other
individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are
and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or
similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the
minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or
related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid Bond
shall include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be issued by a
reputable bonding company.
2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors,
officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing
with the money and/or securities of the Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity
bond or similar coverage, and that said bond is issued by a reputable bonding
company, includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement, and is in an amount not
less than $5 million. The Company agrees that any amounts received under such
bond in connection with claims that arise from the arrangements described in
this Agreement will be held by the Company for the benefit of the Fund. The
Company agrees to make all reasonable efforts to see that this bond or another
bond containing these provisions is always in effect, and agrees to notify the
Fund and the Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.
ARTICLE III
Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting
3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company with as many printed copies
of the Fund's current prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as the
Company may reasonably request. If requested by the Company in lieu thereof, the
Fund shall provide camera-ready film or computer diskettes containing the Fund's
prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and such other assistance as
is reasonably necessary in order for the Company once each year (or more
frequently if the prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information for the
Fund is amended during the year) to have the prospectus for the Contracts and
the Fund's prospectus printed together in one document, and to have the
Statement of Additional Information for the Fund and the Statement of Additional
Information for the Contracts printed together in one document. Alternatively,
the Company may print the Fund's
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prospectus and/or its Statement of Additional Information in combination with
other fund companies' prospectuses and statements of additional information. The
Fund currently intends to create a separate prospectus for each Portfolio, but
does not guarantee that such prospectuses will be generated in any particular
year.
Except as provided in the following three sentences, all expenses of printing
and distributing Fund prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information
shall be the expense of the Company. For prospectuses and Statements of
Additional Information provided by the Company to its existing owners of
Contracts in order to update disclosure as required by the 1933 Act and/or the
1940 Act, the cost of printing shall be borne by the Fund. If the Company
chooses to receive camera-ready film or computer diskettes in lieu of receiving
printed copies of the Fund's prospectus, the Fund will reimburse the Company in
an amount equal to the product of A and B where A is the number of such
prospectuses distributed to owners of the Contracts, and B is the Fund's per
unit cost of typesetting and printing the Fund's prospectus. The same procedures
shall be followed with respect to the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information.
The Company agrees to provide the Fund or its designee with such
information as may be reasonably requested by the Fund to assure that the Fund's
expenses do not include the cost of printing any prospectuses or Statements of
Additional Information other than those actually distributed to existing owners
of the Contracts.
3.2. The Fund's prospectus shall state that the Statement of Additional
Information for the Fund is available from the Underwriter or the Company (or in
the Fund's discretion, the Prospectus shall state that such Statement is
available from the Fund).
3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of
its proxy statements, reports to shareholders, and other communications (except
for prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information, which are covered in
Section 3.1) to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably
require for distributing to Contract owners.
3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:
(i) solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;
(ii) vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions
received from Contract owners; and
(iii) vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been
received in a particular separate account in the same
proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio for which
instructions have been received in that separate account,
so long as and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange Commission
continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges
for variable contract owners. The Company reserves the right to vote Fund shares
held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the extent permitted
by law. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for assuring that
each of their separate accounts participating in the Fund calculates voting
privileges
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in a manner consistent with the standards set forth on Schedule B attached
hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, which standards will also be
provided to the other Participating Insurance Companies.
3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring
voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for
annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund
is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as with
Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will act in
accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's interpretation of the
requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of trustees and
with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.
ARTICLE IV
Sales Material and Information
4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional
material in which the Fund or its investment adviser or the Underwriter is
named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall
be used if the Fund or its designee reasonably objects to such use within
fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any
representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or
representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the
Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund,
or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its
designee or by the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the
Underwriter or the designee of either.
4.3. The Fund, Underwriter, or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause
to be furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature
or other promotional material in which the Company and/or its separate
account(s), is named at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such
material shall be used if the Company or its designee reasonably objects to such
use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.
4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make
any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, each
Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations
contained in a registration statement or prospectus for the Contracts, as such
registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain
or approved by the Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales
literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its
designee, except with the permission of the Company.
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4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of
all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information,
reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional materials,
applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments
to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares, contemporaneously
with the filing of such document with the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other regulatory authorities.
4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of
all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information,
reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales literature and other
promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no action
letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Contracts or
each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or
other regulatory authorities.
4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase "sales literature or
other promotional material" includes, but is not limited to, any of the
following that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements
(such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or
other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape
display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, or other public media), sales
literature (i.e., any written communications distributed or made generally
available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research
reports, market letters, form letters, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of
any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or
training materials or other communications distributed or made generally
available to some or all agents or employees, and registration statements,
prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, shareholder reports, and
proxy materials.
ARTICLE V
Fees and Expenses
5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation to
the Company under this agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio
adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution
expenses, then the Underwriter may make payments to the Company or to the
underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in
writing and such payments will be made out of existing fees otherwise payable to
the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter or other resources available to
the Underwriter. No such payments shall be made directly by the Fund. Currently,
no such payments are contemplated.
5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this Agreement
shall be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its shares are
registered and authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable federal law
and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in accordance with
applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for
the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund's shares, preparation and
filing of the Fund's prospectus and registration statement, proxy materials and
reports, setting the
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prospectus in type, setting in type and printing the proxy materials and reports
to shareholders (including the costs of printing a prospectus that constitutes
an annual report), the preparation of all statements and notices required by any
federal or state law, and all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund's
shares.
5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Fund's
prospectus, proxy materials and reports to owners of Contracts issued by the
Company.
ARTICLE VI
Diversification
6.1. The Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a
manner as to ensure that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts
under the Code and the regulations issued thereunder. Without limiting the scope
of the foregoing, the Fund will at all times comply with Section 817(h) of the
Code and Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, relating to the diversification
requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts and
any amendments or other modifications to such Section or Regulations. In the
event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will take all reasonable
steps (a) to notify Company of such breach and (b) to adequately diversify the
Fund so as to achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by Regulation
1.817-5.
ARTICLE VII
Potential Conflicts
7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material
irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all
separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may
arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance
regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance,
tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter
ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance,
tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial
decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of
any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given
by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f)
a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract
owners. The Board shall promptly inform the Company if it determines that an
irreconcilable material conflict exists and the implications thereof.
7.2. The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of which
it is aware to the Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying out its
responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing the
Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider any
issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by the
Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are
disregarded.
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7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its
disinterested trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the
Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and
to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the
disinterested trustees), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or
eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1)
withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from
the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment
medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or
submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote
of all affected Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of
any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract
owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance
Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected
contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2) establishing a new
registered management investment company or managed separate account.
7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by
the Company to disregard contract owner voting instructions and that decision
represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the Company
may be required, at the Fund's election, to withdraw the affected Account's
investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to such
Account; provided, however that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited
to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as
determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board. Any such
withdrawal and termination must take place within six (6) months after the Fund
gives written notice that this provision is being implemented, and until the end
of that six month period the Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and
implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of
the Fund.
7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular
state insurance regulator's decision applicable to the Company conflicts with
the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the
affected Account's investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with
respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs the Company in
writing that it has determined that such decision has created an irreconcilable
material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall
be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable
conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.
Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the Underwriter and Fund shall
continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and
redemption) of shares of the Fund.
7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a
majority of the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any
proposed action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in
no event will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the
Contracts. The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new
funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote
of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the
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irreconcilable material conflict. In the event that the Board determines that
any proposed action does not adequately remedy any irreconcilable material
conflict, then the Company will withdraw the Account's investment in the Fund
and terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs the
Company in writing of the foregoing determination, provided, however, that such
withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such
material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board.
7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or
Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the Act
or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as
defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions
materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order,
then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate,
shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T),
as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable;
and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall
continue in effect only to the extent that terms and conditions substantially
identical to such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so amended or
adopted.
ARTICLE VIII
Indemnification
8.1. Indemnification By The Company
8.1(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and
each trustee of the Board and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Company) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any
statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements
are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts
and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged
untrue statements of any material fact contained in the Registration
Statement or prospectus for the Contracts or contained in the Contracts or
sales literature for the Contracts (or any amendment or supplement to any
of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement
or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund for use in the
Registration Statement or prospectus for the Contracts or in the Contracts
or
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sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in
connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations
(other than statements or representations contained in the Registration
Statement, prospectus or sales literature of the Fund not supplied by the
Company, or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Company
or persons under its control, with respect to the sale or distribution of
the Contracts or Fund Shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, prospectus, or
sales literature of the Fund or any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading if such a statement or omission was made in
reliance upon information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the
Company; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or
arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by
the Company, as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of
Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1(c) hereof.
8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party's reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement or to
the Fund, whichever is applicable.
8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Company in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Company of any
such claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to
the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on
account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Company shall be entitled to participate,
at its own expense, in the defense of such action. The Company also shall be
entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party
named in the Action. After notice from the Company to such party of the
Company's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall
bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the
Company will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or
other expenses
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subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection with
the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares or the Contracts or the operation of the
Fund.
8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter
8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company
and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Underwriter) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute,
at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the
sale or acquisition of the Fund's shares or the Contracts and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the Registration Statement or prospectus or sales
literature of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to
any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, provided that
this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any
Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such
alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information furnished to the Underwriter
or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the
Registration Statement or prospectus for the Fund or in
sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or
otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the
Contracts or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or
representations (other than statements or representations
contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or
sales literature for the Contracts not supplied by the
Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful
conduct of the Fund, Adviser or Underwriter or persons
under their control, with respect to the sale or
distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement,
prospectus, or sales literature covering the Contracts, or any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statement or
statements
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therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made
in reliance upon information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of the Fund; or
(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in
good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification
requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter; as limited by and
in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and
8.2(c) hereof.
8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation
to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such
Indemnified Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the
performance of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified
Party's reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to
each Company or the Account, whichever is applicable.
8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification
provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless
such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in writing within a
reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving
information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such
Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of
such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of
any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may
have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than
on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought
against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be entitled to
participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also
shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
the party named in the action. After notice from the Underwriter to such party
of the Underwriter's election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified
Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it,
and the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for
any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in
connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation.
8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers
or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the
operation of each Account.
8.3. Indemnification By the Fund
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8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and
each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the
"Indemnified Parties" for purposes of this Section 8.3) against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with
the written consent of the Fund) or litigation (including legal and other
expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute,
at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements result from the gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Board or any member thereof,
are related to the operations of the Fund and;
(i) arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the
services and furnish the materials under the terms of this
Agreement (including a failure to comply with the
diversification requirements specified in Article VI of this
Agreement); or
(ii) arise out of or result from any material breach of any
representation and/or warranty made by the Fund in this
Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material
breach of this Agreement by the Fund;
as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and
8.3(c) hereof.
8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation incurred
or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such Indemnified
Party's willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance
of such Indemnified Party's duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party's
reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to the
Company, the Fund, the Underwriter or each Account, whichever is applicable.
8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision
with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such
Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund in writing within a reasonable
time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the
nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after
such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any
designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not
relieve the Fund from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party
against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this
indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the
Indemnified Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at its own
expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be entitled to assume the
defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action.
After notice from the Fund to such party of the Fund's election to assume the
defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it, and the Fund will not be liable to such party
under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than
reasonable costs of investigation.
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8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the Fund
of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its
respective officers or directors in connection with this Agreement, the issuance
or sale of the Contracts, with respect to the operation of either Account, or
the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund.
ARTICLE IX
Applicable Law
9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof
interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933, 1934
and 1940 acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including
such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the Securities and
Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not limited to, the Shared Funding
Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in
accordance therewith.
ARTICLE X
Termination
10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the
first to occur of:
(a) termination by any party for any reason by six months' advance
written notice delivered to the other parties; or
(b) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio based upon the Company's
determination that shares of such Portfolio are not reasonably
available to meet the requirements of the Contracts; or
(c) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event any of the
Portfolio's shares are not registered, issued or sold in accordance
with applicable state and/or federal law or such law precludes the
use of such shares as the underlying investment media of the
Contracts issued or to be issued by the Company; or
(d) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such
Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company under
Subchapter M of the Code or under any successor or similar
provision, or if the Company reasonably believes that the Fund may
fail to so qualify; or
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(e) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such
Portfolio fails to meet the diversification requirements specified
in Article VI hereof; or
(f) termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice
to the Company, if either one or both of the Fund or the Underwriter
respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment exercised in
good faith, that the Company and/or its affiliated companies has
suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations,
financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or
is the subject of material adverse publicity; or
(g) termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the
Underwriter, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment
exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter has
suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations,
financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or
is the subject of material adverse publicity; or
(h) termination by the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to
the Company, if the Company gives the Fund and the Underwriter
the written notice specified in Section 1.6(b) hereof and at the
time such notice was given there was no notice of termination
outstanding under any other provision of this Agreement;
provided, however any termination under this Section 10.1(h)
shall be effective sixty (60) days after the notice specified in
Section 1.6(b) was given.
10.2. Effect of Termination. Notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, the Fund and the Underwriter shall at the option of the Company,
continue to make available additional shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective
date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "Existing
Contracts"). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing
Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem
investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional
purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this
Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the
effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this
Agreement.
10.3. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the
Contracts (as opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company's assets held
in the Account) except (i) as necessary to implement Contract Owner initiated or
approved transactions, or (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or
regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application
(hereinafter referred to as a "Legally Required Redemption") or (iii) as
permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to Section 26(b) of the 1940 Act. Upon
request, the Company will promptly furnish to the Fund and the Underwriter the
opinion of counsel for the Company (which counsel shall be reasonably
satisfactory to the Fund and the Underwriter) to the effect that any redemption
pursuant to clause (ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore,
except in cases where permitted under the terms of the Contracts, the Company
shall not prevent
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Contract Owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise
available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund or the Underwriter
90 days notice of its intention to do so.
ARTICLE XI
Notices
Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by registered or
certified mail to the other party at the address of such party set forth below
or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing
to the other party.
If to the Fund: 00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Treasurer
If to the Company: 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
X.X. Xxx0000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
If to the Underwriter: 00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Treasurer
ARTICLE XII
Miscellaneous
12.1. All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property
of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as neither the
Board, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal liability for
obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.
12.2. Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory
authority, each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses
of the owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as
confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by
this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and
addresses and other confidential information until such time as it may come into
the public domain without the express written consent of the affected party.
12.3. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect.
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12.4. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more
counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
12.5. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by
a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
12.6. Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all
appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the
NASD and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities
reasonable access to its books and records in connection with any investigation
or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further
agrees to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any information or
reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such
Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the insurance operations
of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the California
Insurance Regulations and any other applicable law or regulations.
12.7 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are
cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and obligations,
at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and
federal laws.
12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder may
not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all parties
hereto; provided, however, that the Underwriter may assign this Agreement or any
rights or obligations hereunder to any affiliate of or company under common
control with the Underwriter, if such assignee is duly licensed and registered
to perform the obligations of the Underwriter under this Agreement. The Company
shall promptly notify the Fund and the Underwriter of any change in control of
the Company. In the event that Underwriter assigns this Agreement it will make
reasonable efforts to inform Company in advance of the assignment of the
identity of its assignee and the effective date of the assignment.
12.9. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the
Fund or its designee copies of the following reports:
(a) the Company's annual statement (prepared under statutory
accounting principles) and annual report (prepared under
generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), if any), as
soon as practical and in any event within 90 days after the
end of each fiscal year,
(b) the Company's quarterly statements (statutory) (and GAAP, if
any), as soon as practical and in any event within 45 days
after the end of each quarterly period:
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(c) any financial statement, proxy statement, notice or report of
the Company sent to stockholders and/or policyholders, as soon
as practical after the delivery thereof to stockholders;
(d) any registration statement (without exhibits) and financial
reports of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any state insurance regulator, as soon as
practical after the filing thereof;
(e) any other report submitted to the Company by independent
accountants in connection with any annual, interim or special
audit made by them of the books of the Company, as soon as
practical after the receipt thereof, unless the sharing of
such material would subject the Company to the disclosure of
confidential information.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement
to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized
representative and its seal to be hereunder affixed hereto as of the date
specified below.
BANKERS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK
By:
---------------------------------
Name:
---------------------------------
Title:
---------------------------------
VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II
By:
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Senior Vice President
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS CORPORATION
By:
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Vice President
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Schedule A
Separate Accounts and Associated Contracts
Name of Separate Account and Date Policy Form Numbers of Contracts
Established by Board of Directors Funded By Separate Account
Bankers Life Insurance Company of New York VCA-97BL
Separate Account I
Established on
----------------------
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SCHEDULE B
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURE
The following is a list of procedures and corresponding responsibilities for the
handling of proxies relating to the Fund by the Underwriter, the Fund and the
Company. The defined terms herein shall have the meanings assigned in the
Participation Agreement except that the term "Company" shall also include the
department or third party assigned by the Insurance Company to perform the steps
delineated below.
1. The number of proxy proposals is given to the Company by the Underwriter
as early as possible before the date set by the Fund for the shareholder
meeting to facilitate the establishment of tabulation procedures. At this
time the Underwriter will inform the Company of the Record, Mailing and
Meeting dates. This will be done verbally approximately two months before
meeting.
2. Promptly after the Record Date, the Company will perform a "tape run", or
other activity, which will generate the names, addresses and number of
units which are attributed to each contractowner/policyholder (the
"Customer") as of the Record Date. Allowance should be made for account
adjustments made after this date that could affect the status of the
Customers' accounts as of the Record Date.
Note: The number of proxy statements is determined by the activities
described in Step #2. The Company will use its best efforts to call in the
number of Customers to Fidelity, as soon as possible, but no later than
two weeks after the Record Date.
3. The Fund's Annual Report no longer needs to be sent to each Customer by
the Company either before or together with the Customers' receipt of a
proxy statement. Underwriter will provide the last Annual Report to the
Company pursuant to the terms of Section 3.3 of the Agreement to which
this Schedule relates.
4. The text and format for the Voting Instruction Cards ("Cards" or "Card")
is provided to the Company by the Fund. The Company, at its expense, shall
produce and personalize the Voting Instruction Cards. The Legal Department
of the Underwriter or its affiliate ("Fidelity Legal") must approve the
Card before it is printed. Allow approximately 2-4 business days for
printing information on the Cards. Information commonly found on the Cards
includes:
a. name (legal name as found on account registration)
b. address
c. Fund or account number
d. coding to state number of units
e. individual Card number for use in tracking and verification
of votes (already on Cards as printed by the Fund)
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(This and related steps may occur later in the chronological process due to
possible uncertainties relating to the proposals.)
5. During this time, Fidelity Legal will develop, produce, and the Fund will
pay for the Notice of Proxy and the Proxy Statement (one document).
Printed and folded notices and statements will be sent to Company for
insertion into envelopes (envelopes and return envelopes are provided and
paid for by the Insurance Company). Contents of envelope sent to Customers
by Company will include:
a. Voting Instruction Card(s)
b. One proxy notice and statement (one document)
c. return envelope (postage pre-pad by Company) addressed to the
Company or its tabulation agent
d. "urge buckslip" - optional, but recommended. (This is a small,
single sheet of paper that requests Customers to vote as quickly as
possible and that their vote is important. One copy will be supplied
by the Fund.)
e. cover letter - optional, supplied by Company and reviewed and
approved in advance by Fidelity Legal.
6. The above contents should be received by the Company approximately 3-5
business days before mail date. Individual in charge at Company review and
approves the contents of the mailing package to ensure correctness and
completeness. Copy of this approval sent to Fidelity Legal.
7. Package mailed by the Company.
* The Fund must allow at least a 15-day solicitation time to the
Company as the shareowner. (A 5-week period is recommended.)
Solicitation time is calculated as calendar days from (but not
including) the meeting, counting backwards.
8. Collection and tabulation of Cards begins. Tabulation usually takes place
in another department or another vendor depending on process used. An
often used procedure is to sort Cards on arrival by proposal into vote
categories of all yes, no, or mixed replies, and to begin data entry.
Note: Postmarks are not generally needed. A need for postmark
information would be due to an insurance company's internal procedure
and has not been required by Fidelity in the past.
9. Signatures on Card checked against legal name on account registration
which was printed on the Card.
Note: For Example, if the account registration is under "Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxx, Trustee," then that is the exact legal name to be printed on the
Card and is the signature needed on the Card.
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10. If Cards are mutilated, or for any reason are illegible or are not
signed properly, they are sent back to Customer with an explanatory
letter, a new Card and return envelope. The mutilated or illegible
Card is disregarded and considered to be not received for purposes of
vote tabulation. Any Cards that have "kicked out" (e.g., mutilated,
illegible) of the procedure are "hand verified," i.e., examined as to
why they did not complete the system. Any questions on those Cards are
usually remedied individually.
11. There are various control procedures used to ensure proper
tabulation of votes and accuracy of that tabulation. The most
prevalent is to sort the Cards as they first arrive into categories
depending upon their vote; an estimate of how the vote is
progressing may then be calculated. If the initial estimates and the
actual vote do not coincide, then an internal audit of that vote
should occur. This may entail a recount.
12. The actual tabulation of votes is done in units which is then
converted to shares. (It is very important that the Fund receives
the tabulations stated in terms of a percentage and the number of
shares.) Fidelity Legal must review and approve tabulation format.
13. Final tabulation in shares is verbally given by the Company to
Fidelity Legal on the morning of the meeting not later than 10:00
am. Boston time. Fidelity Legal may request an earlier deadline if
required to calculate the vote in time for the meeting.
14. A Certification of Mailing and Authorization to Vote Shares will be
required from the Company as well as an original copy of the final
vote. Fidelity Legal will provide a standard form for each
Certification.
15. The Company will be required to box and archive the Cards received
from the Customers. In the event that any vote is challenged or if
otherwise necessary for legal, regulatory, or accounting purposes,
Fidelity Legal will be permitted reasonable access to such Cards.
16. All approvals and "signing-off" may be done orally, but must always
be followed up in writing.
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SCHEDULE C
Other investment companies currently available under variable annuities or
variable life insurance issued by the Company:
The Xxxxx American Fund
OCC Accumulation Trust
Royce Capital Fund
SAFECO Resource Series Trust
SoGen Variable Funds, Inc.
X. Xxxx Price Fixed Income Series, Inc.
X. Xxxx Price International Series, Inc.
Xxx Xxx Worldwide Insurance Trust
26
