AB 1934, as amended, Alejo. Nonprofit corporations: corporation sole.
(1) The Nonprofit Corporation Law authorizes a presiding officer of a religious denomination, society, or church to form a corporation sole for the purpose of administering and managing its affairs. The law requires the Secretary of State to file articles of incorporation of a corporation sole, if the articles of incorporation conform to law.
This bill would require the Secretary of State, if he or she determines the articles of incorporation to form a corporation sole did not conform to law, to nonetheless file it if the articles of incorporation are resubmitted with an accompanying written opinion of a member of the State Bar of California that the specific provision of the articles of incorporation objected to by the Secretary of State conform to law and the supporting points and authorities upon which the written opinion is based.
(2) The Nonprofit Corporation Law authorizes a chief officer of a corporation sole to amend the articles of incorporation if the amendment is filed with the Secretary of State and includes a signed and verified statement setting forth the provisions of the amendment and stating that the amendment has been duly authorized by the religious organization governed by the corporation sole.
This bill would expand this provision to also allow an amendment filed with the Secretary of State to state it has been duly approved by the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for forming the corporation sole, or by the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for overseeing the corporation sole according to the rules, canons, regulations, or discipline of the religious denomination, society, or church as to which the corporation sole is affiliated.
(3) The Nonprofit Corporation Law requires a declaration of dissolution of a corporation sole to include, among other things, a statement that the dissolution of the corporation sole has been duly authorized by the religious organization governed by the corporation sole.
This bill would expand that provision to also allow the statement that the dissolution of the corporation sole has been duly authorized by the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for forming the corporation sole, or by the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for overseeing the corporation sole according to the rules, canons, regulations, or discipline of the religious denomination, society, or church as to which the corporation sole is affiliated.
(4) The Nonprofit Corporation Law requires any assets of a dissolved corporation sole remaining after satisfying its debts and obligations to be transferred to the religious organization governed by the corporation sole, or to trustees in its behalf, or disposed of as may be decreed by the superior court of the county in which the dissolved corporation sole had its principal office.
This bill would expand this provision to authorize the assets to also be transferred to the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for forming the corporation sole, or the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for overseeing the corporation sole according to the rules, canons, regulations, or discipline of the religious denomination, society, or church to which the corporation sole is affiliated.
(5) This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 10003 of the Corporations Code is
2amended to read:
The articles of incorporation shall state:
4(a) The name of the corporation.
5(b) That the officer forming the corporation is duly authorized
6by the canons, rules, regulations, or discipline of the religious
7denomination, society, or church to take such action.
8(c) The county where the principal office for the transaction of
9the business of the corporation is located.
10(d) The manner in which any vacancy occurring in the office
11of the bishop, chief priest, presiding elder, or other presiding officer
12is
required to be filled by the canons, rules, regulations, or
13constitution of the denomination, society, or church.
Section 10005 of the Corporations Code is amended
15to read:
(a) The articles of incorporation shall be signed and
17verified by the bishop, chief priest, presiding elder, or other
18presiding officer forming the corporation and shall be submitted
19to the Secretary of State for filing in his or her office. If they
20conform to law, the Secretary of State shall file them and endorse
21the date of filing thereon. Upon the filing of the articles of
22incorporation with the Secretary of State, the corporation sole is
23formed.
24(b) If the Secretary of State determines that articles of
25incorporation submitted for filing pursuant to this section do not
26conform to law and returns it to the person submitting it, the articles
27
of incorporation may be resubmitted accompanied by a written
28opinion of the member of the State Bar of California submitting
29the articles, or representing the person submitting it, to the effect
30that the specific provision of the articles of incorporation objected
31to by the Secretary of State does conform to law and stating the
32points and authorities upon which the written opinion is based.
33The Secretary of State shall rely, with respect to any disputed point
34of law, upon that written opinion in determining whether the
35articles conform to law. The date of filing in that case shall be the
36date the Secretary of State receives the articles of incorporation
37on resubmission.
Section 10010 of the Corporations Code is amended
2to read:
The chief officer of a corporation sole may at any time
4amend the articles of incorporation of the corporation sole changing
5its name, the term of its existence, its territorial jurisdiction, or the
6manner of filling any vacancy in the office thereof, and may by
7amended articles of incorporation make provision for any act or
8thing for which provision is authorized in original articles of
9incorporation of corporation sole.
10The chief officer of the corporation sole shall sign and verify a
11statement setting forth the provisions of the amendment and stating
12that it has been duly authorized by the religious organization
13governed by the corporation sole, the hierarchical religious
14
organization or entity responsible for forming the corporation sole,
15or by the hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible
16for overseeing the corporation sole according to the rules, canons,
17regulations, or discipline of the religious denomination, society,
18or church as to which the corporation sole is affiliated.
19The amendment shall be submitted to the Secretary of State for
20filing. If it conforms to law, the Secretary of State shall file it and
21endorse the date of filing thereon. Thereupon the articles are
22amended in the manner set forth in the statement.
Section 10013 of the Corporations Code is amended
24to read:
The declaration of dissolution shall set forth all of the
26following:
27(a) The name of the corporation sole.
28(b) The reason for its dissolution or winding up.
29(c) That dissolution of the corporation sole has been duly
30authorized by the religious organization governed by the
31corporation sole, by the hierarchical religious organization or entity
32responsible for forming the corporation sole, or by the hierarchical
33religious organization or entity responsible for overseeing the
34corporation sole according to the rules, canons, regulations, or
35 discipline of the religious denomination, society, or church as to
36which the corporation sole is affiliated.
37(d) The names and addresses of the persons who are to supervise
38the winding up of the affairs of the corporation sole.
Section 10014 of the Corporations Code is amended
40to read:
The declaration of dissolution shall be submitted to the
2Secretary of State for filing. If it conforms to law, the Secretary
3of State shall file it and endorse the date of filing thereon.
4Thereupon, the corporation sole shall cease to carry on business,
5except for the purpose of adjusting and winding up its affairs.
Section 10015 of the Corporations Code is amended
7to read:
After the debts and obligations of the corporation solebegin insert,
9including any civil judgments against the corporation sole,end insert are
10paid or adequately provided for, any assets remaining shall be
11transferred to the religious organization governed by the
12corporation sole, the trustees on behalf of the corporation sole, the
13hierarchical religious organization or entity responsible for forming
14the corporation sole, or the hierarchical religious organization or
15entity responsible for overseeing the corporation sole according
16to the rules, canons, regulations, or discipline of the religious
17denomination, society, or church to which the corporation sole is
18affiliated,
or otherwise disposed of as may be decreed by the
19superior court of the county in which the dissolved corporation
20sole had its principal office upon petition therefor by the Attorney
21General or any person connected with the organization.
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