Bill Text: DE HB344 | 2019-2020 | 150th General Assembly | Draft


Bill Title: An Act To Amend Chapter 18, Title 6 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Creation, Regulation, Operation And Dissolution Of Domestic Limited Liability Companies And The Registration And Regulation Of Foreign Limited Liability Companies.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-3)

Status: (Passed) 2020-07-16 - Signed by Governor [HB344 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2019-HB344-Draft.html

SPONSOR:

Rep. Lynn & Rep. Bush & Rep. Griffith & Sen. Brown & Sen. Delcollo & Sen. Hansen & Sen. Townsend

Reps. Brady, Dorsey Walker, Ramone, Spiegelman; Sen. Ennis

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 344

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 18, TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE CREATION, REGULATION, OPERATION AND DISSOLUTION OF DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES AND THE REGISTRATION AND REGULATION OF FOREIGN LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

§ 18-101 Definitions.

§ 18-102 Name set forth in certificate.

The name of each limited liability company as set forth in its certificate of formation :

Section 3. Amend § 18-104, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(f) Any registered agent who at any time serves as registered agent for more than 50 entities (a “commercial registered agent”), whether domestic or foreign, shall satisfy and comply with the following qualifications:

(2) A domestic or foreign corporation, a domestic or foreign partnership (whether general (including a limited liability partnership) or limited (including a limited liability limited partnership)), a foreign limited liability partnership, a domestic or foreign limited liability company, or a domestic or foreign statutory trust serving as a commercial registered agent shall:

Section 4. Amend § 18-113, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, without limiting the manner in which any act or transaction may be documented, or the manner in which a document may be signed or delivered:

(2) Whenever this chapter or the limited liability company agreement requires or permits a signature, the signature may be a manual, facsimile, conformed or electronic signature. “Electronic signature” means an electronic symbol or process that is attached to, or logically associated with, a document and executed or adopted by a person with an intent to execute, authenticate or adopt the document.  A person may execute a document with such person’s signature.

Section 5. Amend § 18-210, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

A Unless otherwise provided in a limited liability company agreement or an agreement of merger or consolidation or a plan of merger or a plan of division may provide that contractual , no appraisal rights shall be available with respect to a limited liability company interest or another interest in a limited liability company shall be available for any class or group or series of members or limited liability company interests , including in connection with any amendment of a limited liability company agreement, any merger or consolidation in which the limited liability company or a registered series of the limited liability company is a constituent party to the merger or consolidation, any division of the limited liability company, any conversion of the limited liability company to another business form, any conversion of a protected series of the limited liability company to a registered series of such limited liability company, any conversion of a registered series of the limited liability company to a protected series of such limited liability company, any transfer to or domestication or continuance in any jurisdiction by the limited liability company, or the sale of all or substantially all of the limited liability company’s assets. The Court of Chancery shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any matter relating to any such appraisal rights provided in a limited liability company agreement or an agreement of merger or consolidation or a plan of merger or a plan of division .

Section 6. Amend § 18-213, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 7. Amend § 18-216, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 11. Amend § 18-301, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 12. Amend § 18-305, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

(d) A limited liability company may maintain its records in other than a written paper form, including on, by means of, or in the form of any information storage device, method, or 1 or more electronic networks or databases (including 1 or more distributed electronic networks or databases), if such form is capable of conversion into written paper form within a reasonable time.

Section 13. Amend § 18-904, Chapter 18, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 14. This Act shall become effective upon its enactment into law .

SYNOPSIS

This bill continues the practice of amending periodically the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “Act”) to keep it current and to maintain its national preeminence. The following is a section-by-section review of the proposed amendments of the Act.

Section 1. This section amends Section 18-101(9)b. of the Act to correct a cross-reference.

Section 2. This section amends Section 18-102(3) of the Act to clarify requirements regarding the name of a limited liability company in its certificate of formation.

Section 3. This section amends Sections 18-104(a)(2)d. and 18-104(f)(2) of the Act to identify the types of foreign entities that may be a registered agent of a limited liability company.

Sections 3 and 12. These sections amend Sections 18-104(b) and 18-904(c) of the Act to eliminate the requirement that the Secretary of State issue a certified copy of any certificate filed by the registered agent changing the address of the registered office or the name of the registered agent. These sections also amend Sections 18-104(b) and 18-904(c) of the Act to provide that the conversion of the registered agent or a division of the registered agent in which a resulting person succeeds to all of the registered agent business of such registered agent shall be deemed to be a change of name for purposes of these Sections of the Act. These sections also amend Sections 18-104(c) and 18-904(d) of the Act to eliminate the requirement that the Secretary of State issue a certificate in connection with the resignation of the registered agent of a domestic or foreign limited liability company and the appointment of the successor registered agent.

Section 4. This section amends Section 18-113(a)(2) of the Act to clarify that a person may “execute” a document by using any type of signature contemplated by such Section.

Section 5. This section amends Section 18-210 of the Act to confirm that no appraisal rights are available with respect to a limited liability company interest or another interest in a limited liability company, including in connection with the enumerated transactions unless otherwise provided in the enumerated documents.

Sections 6, 7, and 10. These sections amend Sections 18-213(c), 18-216(f) and 18-220(f) of the Act with regard to certifications provided by the Secretary of State in connection with the filing of a certificate of transfer, a certificate of transfer and domestic continuance, a certificate of conversion to non-Delaware entity, and a certificate of conversion of registered series to protected series.

Section 8. This section amends Section 18-217(h) of the Act to provide specifically that flexibility exists to state other information in a certificate of division.

Section 9. This section amends Section 18-218(d)(4) of the Act to confirm that a certificate of registered series shall be promptly amended if the certificate of registered series no longer complies with the requirements of Section 18-218(e)(1) of this title. This section also amends Section 18-218(e)(3) of the Act to clarify requirements regarding the name of a registered series in its certificate of registered series.

Section 11. This section amends Section 18-301 of the Act (i) to confirm that a limited liability company agreement may provide for the admission of members in connection with formation, (ii) to eliminate any statutory requirement that a member’s admission after formation is subject to the admission being reflected in the records of the limited liability company, and (iii) to clarify that an assignee of a limited liability company interest is admitted as a member as provided in Section 18-704(a) of the Act.

Section 12. This section amends Section 18-305(d) of the Act to confirm that a limited liability company may maintain its books, records and other information in other than paper form (including electronic form) if such form is capable of conversion into paper form within a reasonable time.

Section 13. This section amends Section 18-904(a) of the Act to clarify requirements regarding the name under which a foreign limited liability company may register with the Secretary of State. This section also amends Section 18-904(b)(2)c. of the Act to identify the types of foreign entities that may be a registered agent of a foreign limited liability company. This section also amends Section 18-904(e) of the Act to provide that if a foreign limited liability company has ceased to be registered pursuant to Section 18-1107(h) of the Act, its registered agent may resign without appointing a successor registered agent. The amendment also adds requirements regarding the content and form of the certificate of resignation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State when the registered agent resigns without appointing a successor, and provides that such information regarding the communications contact that must be included in such a certificate shall not be deemed public.

Section 14. This section provides that the proposed amendments to the Act shall become effective upon their enactment into law.

feedback