BY-LAWS
OF
DREYFUS MASSACHUSETTS TAX EXEMPT BOND 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 00000, 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 or her, 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 willful 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 or her undertaking,
(b) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of such Covered
Person's failure to fulfill his or her 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 willful 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.
00.0.Xxxxx 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.
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: May 13, 1985
Amended: December 31, 1999
