Section 403.

(a) When so provided in the articles, a corporation may issue shares convertible within the time or upon the happening of one or more specified events and upon the terms and conditions that are stated in the articles if any of the following conditions apply:

(1) At the option of the holder or automatically upon either the vote of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of the class or series to be converted or upon the happening of one or more specified events, into shares of any class or series.

(2) If it is a corporation which has a license or franchise from a governmental agency to conduct its business or a member corporation of a national securities exchange registered under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the license, franchise or membership of which is conditioned upon some or all of the holders of its stock possessing prescribed qualifications, to the extent necessary to prevent the loss of such license, franchise or membership or to reinstate it, at the option of the corporation, into shares of any class or series or into any other security of the corporation.

(3) If the corporation is a "listed corporation" as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 301.5, both at the time of the original issuance of the convertible shares and at the time of the conversion, at the option of the corporation into shares of any class or series or into any other security of the corporation, provided that any such securities received upon conversion are listed or qualified for trading on a stock exchange or market system defined in subdivision (d) of Section 301.5.

(b) Unless otherwise provided in the articles, a corporation may issue its debt securities convertible into other debt securities or into shares of the corporation within such time or upon the happening of one or more specified events and upon such terms and conditions as are fixed by the board.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 477, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)