BY-LAWS
OF
DREYFUS MASSACHUSETTS INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL 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 shall be elected by the Trustees upon the occurrence of any vacancy in
any such office. Other officers, if any, may be elected or appointed by the
Trustees at any time. Vacancies in any such other office may be filled at any
time.
3.3. Tenure. The President, Treasurer and Secretary shall
hold office in each case until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or
becomes disqualified. Each other officer shall hold office and each agent shall
retain authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
3.4. Powers. Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws,
each officer shall have, in addition to the duties and powers herein and in the
Declaration of Trust set forth, such duties and powers as commonly are incident
to the office occupied by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a
Massachusetts business corporation or such other duties and powers as the
Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.5. President. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the
President shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and of the Trustees.
Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the President shall be the chief
executive officer.
3.6. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial and
accounting officer of the Trust, and, subject to the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust and to any arrangement made by the Trustees with a
custodian, investment adviser or manager, or transfer, shareholder servicing or
similar agent, shall be in charge of the valuable papers, books of account and
accounting records of the Trust, and shall have such other duties and powers as
may be designated from time to time by the Trustees or by the President.
3.7. Secretary. The Secretary shall record all proceedings of
the shareholders and the Trustees in books to be kept therefor, which books or a
copy thereof shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust. In the absence
of the Secretary from any meeting of the shareholders or Trustees, an Assistant
Secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is absent, a temporary Secretary
chosen at such meeting shall record the proceedings thereof in the aforesaid
books.
3.8. Resignations and Removals. Any Trustee or officer may
resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to
the President or Secretary or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation
shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some other
time. The Trustees may remove any officer elected by them with or without cause.
Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust,
no Trustee or officer resigning and no officer removed shall have any right to
any compensation for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or
any right to damages on account of such removal.
ARTICLE 4
Committees
4.1. Appointment. The Trustees may appoint from their number
an executive committee and other committees. Except as the Trustees otherwise
may determine, any such committee may make rules for conduct of its business.
4.2. Quorum; Voting. A majority of the members of any
Committee of the Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business, and any action of such a Committee may be taken at a meeting by a vote
of a majority of the members present (a quorum being present).
ARTICLE 5
Reports
The Trustees and officers shall render reports at the time and
in the manner required by the Declaration of Trust or any applicable law.
Officers and Committees shall render such additional reports as they may deem
desirable or as may from time to time be required by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 6
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Trust shall be fixed, and shall be
subject to change, by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE 7
Seal
The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced die with
the word "Massachusetts," together with the name of the Trust and the year of
its organization cut or engraved thereon but, unless otherwise required by the
Trustees, the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and in its absence
shall not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper
executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 8
Execution of Papers
Except as the Trustees generally or in particular cases may
authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all deeds, leases,
contracts, notes and other obligations made by the Trustees shall be signed by
the President, any Vice President, or by the Treasurer and need not bear the
seal of the Trust.
ARTICLE 9
Issuance of Share Certificates
9.1. Sale of Shares. Except as otherwise determined by the
Trustees, the Trust will issue and sell for cash or securities from time to
time, full and fractional shares of its shares of beneficial interest, such
shares to be issued and sold at a price of not less than net asset value per
share, as from time to time determined in accordance with the Declaration of
Trust and these By-Laws and, in the case of fractional shares, at a
proportionate reduction in such price. In the case of shares sold for
securities, such securities shall be valued in accordance with the provisions
for determining value of assets of the Trust as stated in the Declaration of
Trust and these By-Laws. The officers of the Trust are severally authorized to
take all such actions as may be necessary or desirable to carry out this Section
9.1.
9.2. Share Certificates. In lieu of issuing certificates for
shares, the Trustees or the transfer agent either may issue receipts therefor or
may keep accounts upon the books of the Trust for the record holders of such
shares, who shall in either case, for all purposes hereunder, be deemed to be
the holders of certificates for such shares as if they had accepted such
certificates and shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the
terms hereof.
The Trustees at any time may authorize the issuance of share
certificates. In that event, each shareholder shall be entitled to a certificate
stating the number of shares owned by him 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 (i)
the Trust shall have 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
(ii) one of the following conditions shall have occurred: (x)
such person shall provide security for his undertaking, (y)
the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of
any lawful advances or (z) a majority of the disinterested,
non-party Trustees of the Trust, or an independent legal
counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined that based
on a review of readily available facts there is reason to
believe that such person ultimately will be found entitled to
indemnification.
ARTICLE 11
Shareholders
11.1. Meetings. A meeting of the shareholders shall be called
by the Secretary whenever ordered by the Trustees, or requested in writing by
the holder or holders of at least 10% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote
at such meeting. If the meeting is a meeting of the shareholders of one or more
series or class of shares, but not a meeting of all shareholders of the Trust,
then only the shareholders of such one or more series or classes shall be
entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting. If the Secretary, when so
ordered or requested, refuses or neglects for more than five days to call such
meeting, the Trustees, or the shareholders so requesting may, in the name of the
Secretary, call the meeting by giving notice thereof in the manner required when
notice is given by the Secretary.
11.2. Access to Shareholder List. Shareholders of record may
apply to the Trustees for assistance in communicating with other shareholders
for the purpose of calling a meeting in order to vote upon the question of
removal of a Trustee. When ten or more shareholders of record who have been such
for at least six months preceding the date of application and who hold in the
aggregate shares having a net asset value of at least $25,000 or at least 1% of
the outstanding shares, whichever is less, so apply, the Trustees shall within
five business days either:
(i) afford to such applicants access to a list
of names and addresses of all shareholders as recorded on the books of the
Trust; or
(ii) inform such applicants of the approximate
number of shareholders of record and the approximate cost of mailing material to
them and, within a reasonable time thereafter, mail materials submitted by the
applicants to all such shareholders of record. The Trustees shall not be
obligated to mail materials which they believe to be misleading or in violation
of applicable law.
11.3. Record Dates. For the purpose of determining the
shareholders of any series or class who are entitled to vote or act at any
meeting or any adjournment thereof, or who are entitled to receive payment of
any dividend or of any other distribution, the Trustees from time to time may
fix a time, which shall be not more than 90 days before the date of any meeting
of shareholders or the date of payment of any dividend or of any other
distribution, as the record date for determining the shareholders of such series
or class having the right to notice of and to vote at such meeting and any
adjournment thereof or the right to receive such dividend or distribution, and
in such case only shareholders of record on such record date shall have such
right notwithstanding any transfer of shares on the books of the Trust after the
record date; or without fixing such record date the Trustees may for any such
purposes close the register or transfer books for all or part of such period.
11.4. Place of Meetings. All meetings of the shareholders
shall be held at the principal office of the Trust or at such other place within
the United States as shall be designated by the Trustees or the President of the
Trust.
11.5. Notice of Meetings. A written notice of each meeting of
shareholders, stating the place, date and hour and the purposes of the meeting,
shall be given at least ten days before the meeting to each shareholder entitled
to vote thereat by leaving such notice with him or at his residence or usual
place of business or by mailing it, postage prepaid, and addressed to such
shareholder at his address as it appears in the records of the Trust. Such
notice shall be given by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by an
officer designated by the Trustees. No notice of any meeting of shareholders
need be given to a shareholder if a written waiver of notice, executed before or
after the meeting by such shareholder or his attorney thereunto duly authorized,
is filed with the records of the meeting.
11.6. Ballots. No ballot shall be required for any election
unless requested by a shareholder present or represented at the meeting and
entitled to vote in the election.
11.7. Proxies. Shareholders entitled to vote may vote either
in person or by proxy in writing dated not more than six months before the
meeting named therein, which proxies shall be filed with the Secretary or other
person responsible to record the proceedings of the meeting before being voted.
Unless otherwise specifically limited by their terms, such proxies shall entitle
the holders thereof to vote at any adjournment of such meeting but shall not be
valid after the final adjournment of such meeting. The placing of a
shareholder's name on a proxy pursuant to telephonic or electronically
transmitted instructions obtained pursuant to procedures reasonably designed to
verify that such instructions have been authorized by such shareholder shall
constitute execution of such proxy by or on behalf of such shareholder.
ARTICLE 12
Amendments to the By-Laws
These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part,
by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Trustees, or
by one or more writings signed by such a majority.
Dated: April 24, 1992
Amended: December 31, 1999
