(1) Any corporation that is not a social purpose corporation may elect to become a social purpose corporation if, pursuant to the proposed election, each of the following conditions are met:
(a) Each share of the same class or series of the electing corporation shall, unless all shareholders of the class or series consent, be treated equally with respect to any cash, rights, securities, or other property to be received by, or any obligations or restrictions to be imposed on, the holder of that share;
(b) The board of directors of the electing corporation must recommend the election to the shareholders, unless the board of directors determines that because of conflict of interest or other special circumstances it should make no recommendation and communicates the basis for its determination to the shareholders with the proposed election; and
(c) In addition to any other voting conditions imposed by the board of directors under subsection (2) of this section, the election must be approved by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the voting group comprising all the votes of the electing corporation's shareholders entitled to be cast on the corporate action, and by two-thirds of the holders of the outstanding shares of each class or series, voting as separate voting groups, and each other voting group entitled under the articles of incorporation to vote separately on the corporate action.
(2) The board of directors of a corporation electing to become a social purpose corporation may condition its submission of the proposed election on any basis, including the affirmative vote of holders of a specified percentage of shares held by any group of shareholders not otherwise entitled to vote as a separate group on the proposed election.
(3) To elect to become a social purpose corporation, an electing corporation must amend its articles of incorporation to include the matters required to be set forth in the articles of incorporation pursuant to RCW 23B.25.040(1).
(4) After an election to become a social purpose corporation is approved, and at any time prior to filing the articles of amendment to amend the electing corporation's articles of incorporation in compliance with subsection (3) of this section, the planned election may be abandoned by the electing corporation, subject to any contractual rights, without further shareholder approval, in the manner determined by the board of directors.
(5) The election to become a social purpose corporation shall be effective upon the later of the filing of the articles of amendment with the secretary of state or the effective date or time set forth in the articles of amendment.
(6) Upon the effective time of the election to become a social purpose corporation, the electing corporation shall thereafter be a social purpose corporation and shall be subject to all of the provisions of this chapter and the existence of the social purpose corporation shall be deemed to have commenced on the date the electing corporation was incorporated.
(7) The election to become a social purpose corporation shall not be deemed to affect any obligations or liabilities of the electing corporation incurred prior to its election to become a social purpose corporation or the personal liability of any person incurred prior to such election.
[ 2012 c 215 § 14.]