(a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, this subchapter shall apply to a registered corporation unless:
(1) the registered corporation is one described in section 2502(1)(ii) or (2) (relating to registered corporation status);
(2) the bylaws, by amendment adopted either:
(i) by March 23, 1984; or
(ii) on or after March 23, 1988, and on or before June 21, 1988;
and, in either event, not subsequently rescinded by an article amendment, explicitly provide that this subchapter shall not be applicable to the corporation in the case of a corporation which on June 21, 1988, did not have outstanding one or more classes or series of preference shares entitled, upon the occurrence of a default in the payment of dividends or another similar contingency, to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors (a bylaw adopted on or before June 21, 1988, by a corporation excluded from the scope of this paragraph by the restriction of this paragraph relating to certain outstanding preference shares shall be ineffective unless ratified under paragraph (3));
(3) the bylaws of which explicitly provide that this subchapter shall not be applicable to the corporation by amendment ratified by the board of directors on or after December 19, 1990, and on or before March 19, 1991, in the case of a corporation:
(i) which on June 21, 1988, had outstanding one or more classes or series of preference shares entitled, upon the occurrence of a default in the payment of dividends or another similar contingency, to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors; and
(ii) the bylaws of which on that date contained a provision described in paragraph (2); or
(4) the articles explicitly provide that this subchapter shall not be applicable to the corporation by a provision included in the original articles, by an article amendment adopted prior to the date of the control transaction and prior to or on March 23, 1988, pursuant to the procedures then applicable to the corporation, or by an articles amendment adopted prior to the date of the control transaction and subsequent to March 23, 1988, pursuant to both:
(i) the procedures then applicable to the corporation; and
(ii) unless such proposed amendment has been approved by the board of directors of the corporation, in which event this subparagraph shall not be applicable, the affirmative vote of the shareholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes which all shareholders are entitled to cast thereon.
A reference in the articles or bylaws to former section 910 (relating to right of shareholders to receive payment for shares following a control transaction) of the act of May 5, 1933 (P.L.364, No.106), known as the Business Corporation Law of 1933, shall be deemed a reference to this subchapter for the purposes of this section. See section 101(c) (relating to references to prior statutes).
(b) Inadvertent transactions.--This subchapter shall not apply to any person or group that inadvertently becomes a controlling person or group if that controlling person or group, as soon as practicable, divests itself of a sufficient amount of its voting shares so that it is no longer a controlling person or group.
(c) Certain subsidiaries.--This subchapter shall not apply to any corporation that on December 23, 1983, was a subsidiary of any other corporation.
(d) Rights cumulative.--(Deleted by amendment).
(e) Exemption.--Voting shares acquired by a person or group in a transaction that complies with section 321(f) (relating to approval by business corporation) shall be disregarded for purposes of determining if the person or group constitutes a controlling person or group.
(Dec. 19, 1990, P.L.834, No.198, eff. imd.; Dec. 18, 1992, P.L.1333, No.169, eff. 60 days; Nov. 3, 2022, P.L.1791, No.122, eff. 60 days)
2022 Amendment. Act 122 added subsec. (e).
1992 Amendment. Act 169 deleted subsec. (d).
1990 Amendment. Act 198 amended subsec. (a).
Cross References. Section 2541 is referred to in section 1106 of this title.
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Title 15 - CORPORATIONS AND UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS
Chapter 25 - Registered Corporations
Section 2501 - Application and effect of chapter
Section 2502 - Registered corporation status
Section 2503 - Acquisition of registered corporation status
Section 2504 - Termination of registered corporation status
Section 2511 - Financial reports to shareholders
Section 2512 - Dissenters rights procedure
Section 2513 - Disparate treatment of certain persons
Section 2521 - Call of special meetings of shareholders
Section 2522 - Adjournment or postponement of meeting of shareholders
Section 2523 - Quorum at shareholder meetings
Section 2524 - Consent of shareholders in lieu of meeting
Section 2525 - Appointment of custodian
Section 2526 - Voting rights of directors
Section 2527 - Authority of board of directors
Section 2528 - Notice of shareholder meetings
Section 2530 - Qualifications of directors
Section 2535 - Proposal of amendment to articles
Section 2536 - Application by director for involuntary dissolution
Section 2537 - Dissenters rights in asset transfers
Section 2538 - Approval of transactions with interested shareholders
Section 2539 - Adoption of plan of merger by board of directors
Section 2541 - Application and effect of subchapter
Section 2543 - Controlling person or group
Section 2544 - Right of shareholders to receive payment for shares
Section 2545 - Notice to shareholders
Section 2546 - Shareholder demand for fair value
Section 2547 - Valuation procedures
Section 2548 - Coordination with control transaction
Section 2551 - Application and effect of subchapter
Section 2553 - Interested shareholder
Section 2554 - Business combination
Section 2555 - Requirements relating to certain business combinations
Section 2556 - Certain minimum conditions
Section 2561 - Application and effect of subchapter
Section 2563 - Acquiring person safe harbor
Section 2564 - Voting rights of shares acquired in a control-share acquisition
Section 2565 - Procedure for establishing voting rights of control shares
Section 2566 - Information statement of acquiring person
Section 2568 - Board determinations
Section 2571 - Application and effect of subchapter
Section 2572 - Policy and purpose
Section 2574 - Controlling person or group safe harbor
Section 2575 - Ownership by corporation of profits resulting from certain transactions
Section 2576 - Enforcement actions
Section 2582 - Severance compensation
Section 2583 - Enforcement and remedies
Section 2585 - Application and effect of subchapter
Section 2587 - Labor contracts preserved in business combination transactions