Illinois Compiled Statutes
805 ILCS 5/ - Business Corporation Act of 1983.
Article 10 - Amendments

(805 ILCS 5/Art. 10 heading)

 
(805 ILCS 5/10.05) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.05)
Sec. 10.05.
Authority to amend articles of incorporation.
(a) A corporation
may amend its articles of incorporation at any time and from time to time
to add a new provision or to change or remove an existing provision, provided
that the articles as amended contain only such provisions as are required
or permitted in original articles of incorporation at the time of amendment.
The articles as amended must contain all the provisions required by subsection
(a) of Section
2.10 except that the names and addresses of the initial directors
may be omitted and the name of the initial registered agent or
the address
of the initial registered office may be omitted if a statement
of change is on
file.
(b) A corporation whose period of duration as provided in the articles
of incorporation has expired may amend its articles of incorporation to
revive its articles and extend the period of corporate duration, including
making the duration perpetual, at any time within 5 years after the date
of expiration.

(Source: P.A. 91-464, eff. 1-1-00.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.10) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.10)
Sec. 10.10.
Amendment before issuance of shares.
If a corporation
has not issued shares, an amendment to the articles of incorporation may
be adopted by a majority of the incorporators if initial directors were
not named in the articles or have not been elected, or, if initial directors
were named in the articles or have been elected, an amendment to the articles
may be adopted by a majority of the directors.

(Source: P.A. 83-1025.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.15) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.15)
Sec. 10.15.
Amendment by directors.
A majority of the whole board
of directors of a corporation may adopt one or more amendments to its articles
of incorporation without shareholder action:
(a) to remove the names and addresses of the initial directors if such
directors were named in the original articles of incorporation;
(b) to remove the name and address of the initial registered agent or
the address of the initial registered office, if a statement of change is
on file with the Secretary of State;
(c) to increase, decrease, create or eliminate the par value of the
shares of any class, so long as no class or series of shares is adversely
affected.
(d) to split all of the issued and authorized, but
unissued, shares of any class, whether or not any shares of the class are
issued or outstanding, by
multiplying them by a whole number, so long as no class or series of shares
is adversely affected.
(e) to change the corporate name by substituting the word
"corporation",
"incorporated", "company", "limited", or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.",
"co.", or "ltd.", for a similar word or abbreviation in the name, or by
adding a geographical attribution to the name;
(f) to reduce the authorized shares of any class pursuant to a
cancellation
statement filed with respect to such shares after acquisition by the
corporation
in circumstances in which the articles of incorporation prohibit reissuance
of such shares after acquisition by the corporation; or
(g) to restate its articles of incorporation as currently
amended; such
restated articles supersede the original articles and all amendments thereto.

(Source: P.A. 88-151.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.20) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.20)
Sec. 10.20.
Amendment by directors and shareholders.
Any amendment
authorized by Section 10.05 may be adopted by the action of the directors
and shareholders in the following manner:
(a) The board of directors shall adopt a resolution setting forth the
proposed amendment and directing that it be submitted to a vote at a
meeting of shareholders, which may be either an annual or a special
meeting.
(b) Written notice setting forth the proposed amendment or a
summary of the changes to be effected thereby shall be given to each
shareholder of record within the time and
in the manner provided in this Act for the giving of notice of meetings of
shareholders. If such meeting be an annual meeting, the proposed amendment,
or such summary as aforesaid, may be included in the notice of such annual
meeting. If the adoption of the amendment would give any class or series of
shares
the right to dissent, the notice shall also enclose a copy of Section 11.70
of this Act or otherwise provide adequate notice of the right to dissent
and the procedures therefor.
(c) At such meeting a vote of the shareholders entitled to vote on the
proposed amendment
shall be taken. The proposed amendment shall be
adopted upon receiving the affirmative vote of at least
two-thirds of the votes of the shares entitled to vote on
such amendment,
unless any class or series of shares is entitled to vote as a class in respect
thereof, in which event the proposed amendment shall be adopted upon
receiving the affirmative votes of at least
two-thirds of the
votes of the shares of each class or series of shares
entitled to vote as a class in
respect thereof and of the total votes of the shares
entitled to vote on such amendment.
(d) The articles of incorporation of a corporation may supersede the
two-thirds
vote requirement of subsection (c) by specifying any smaller or larger vote
requirement not less than a majority of the votes of the
shares entitled
to vote on the amendment and not less than a majority of the votes of the
shares of each class or series of shares entitled to vote as a class on the
amendment.
(e) Any number of amendments may be submitted to the shareholders, and voted
upon by them, at one meeting.

(Source: P.A. 89-48, eff. 6-23-95.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.25) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.25)
Sec. 10.25.
Class voting.
Except as provided in Section 10.40, the holders of the outstanding
shares of a class shall be entitled to vote as a class upon a proposed
amendment if the articles of incorporation so provide or if the amendment would:
(a) Increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of
such class.
(b) Effect an exchange, reclassification, or cancellation of all or part
of the shares of such class.
(c) Change the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations,
restrictions, or special or relative rights of the shares of such class.
(d) In the case of a preferred or special class of shares, divide the
shares of such class into series and fix or authorize the board of directors
to fix the variations in the relative rights and preferences
between the shares of such series.
(e) Change the shares of such class
into the same or a different number of shares
of the same class or another class or classes.
(f) Create a right of exchange, of all or any part of the shares of
another class into the shares of such class.
(g) Create a new class of shares having rights and preferences prior,
superior or substantially equal to those of the shares of such class, or
increase the rights and preferences of any class having rights and preferences
prior, superior or substantially equal to those of the shares of such class,
or increase the rights and preferences of any class having rights and preferences
subordinate to those of such class if such increase would then make the
rights and preferences substantially equal to or superior to those of such class.
(h) Limit or deny the existing preemptive rights of the shares of such class.
(i) Cancel or otherwise affect dividends on the shares of such class which
had accumulated but had not been declared.
(j) Limit or deny the voting rights of the shares of such class.
The holders of the outstanding shares of a class shall not be entitled
to vote as a class upon a proposed amendment if such class is divided into
series, and the proposed amendment would affect one or more but not all
of such series in one or more of the ways described in subsections (a)
through (i) above. In such event, the holders of the outstanding
shares of any series to be affected by the proposed amendment shall be entitled
to vote as a class thereon.

(Source: P.A. 83-1025.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.30) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.30)
Sec. 10.30.
Articles of amendment.
(a) Except as provided in Section 10.40,
the articles of amendment shall be executed and filed in duplicate in
accordance
with Section 1.10 of this Act and shall set forth:
(b) When the provisions of this Section have been complied with, the
Secretary
of State shall file the articles of amendment.

(Source: P.A. 92-33, eff. 7-1-01.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.35) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.35)
Sec. 10.35.
Effect of amendment.
(a) The amendment shall
become effective and the articles of incorporation shall be deemed to be
amended accordingly, as of the later of:
(b) If the amendment is made in accordance with the provisions of
Section 10.40,
upon the filing of the articles of
amendment by the Secretary of State,
the amendment shall become effective and the articles of incorporation shall
be deemed to be amended accordingly, without any action thereon by the
directors
or shareholders of the corporation and with the same effect as if the
amendments
had been adopted by unanimous action of the directors and shareholders of
the corporation.
(c) If the amendment restates the articles of incorporation, such
restated
articles of incorporation shall, upon such amendment becoming effective,
supersede and stand in lieu of the corporation's preexisting articles of
incorporation.
(d) If the amendment revives the articles of incorporation and extends
the
period of corporate duration, upon the filing of the articles of amendment
by the Secretary of State, the amendment shall become effective and the
corporate existence shall be deemed to have continued without interruption
from the date of expiration of the original period of duration, and the
corporation shall stand revived with such powers, duties and obligations
as if its period of duration had not expired; and all acts and proceedings
of its officers, directors and shareholders, acting or purporting to act
as such, which would have been legal and valid but for such expiration,
shall stand ratified and confirmed.
(e) Each amendment which affects the number of issued shares or the
amount of paid-in capital
shall be deemed to be a report under the provisions of
this Act.
(f) No amendment of the articles of incorporation of a corporation shall
affect
any existing cause of action in favor of or
against such corporation, or any pending suit in which such corporation
shall be a party, or the existing rights of persons other than
shareholders; and, in the event the corporate name shall be changed by
amendment, no suit brought by or against such corporation under its former
name shall be abated for that reason.

(Source: P.A. 92-33, eff. 7-1-01; 93-59, eff. 7-1-03.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/10.40) (from Ch. 32, par. 10.40)
Sec. 10.40.
Amendment pursuant to reorganization.
(a) The articles
of incorporation of a corporation may be amended without director or
shareholder
action to carry out a plan of reorganization ordered by a court
of competent jurisdiction pursuant to any applicable statute of the United
States if the articles after amendment contain only provisions required
or permitted by Section 2.10 of this Act.
(b) The individual or individuals designated by the court shall execute,
verify and deliver to the Secretary of State for filing in accordance with
Section 1.10 of this Act, articles of amendment setting forth:
(1) the name of the corporation;
(2) the text of each amendment approved by the court;
(3) the date of the court's order approving the articles of amendment;
(4) the title of the reorganization proceeding in which the order
was entered; and
(5) a statement that the court had jurisdiction of the proceeding under
federal statute.
(c) Shareholders of a corporation undergoing reorganization do not have
dissenters' rights except and to the extent provided in the reorganization plan.

(Source: P.A. 83-1025.)