BY-LAWS
OF
DREYFUS MASSACHUSETTS TAX EXEMPT BOND FUND
ARTICLE 1
Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Principal Office
1.1 Agreement and Declaration of Trust. These By-
Laws shall be subject to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust,
as from time to time in effect (the "Declaration of Trust"), of
the above-captioned Massachusetts business trust established by
the Declaration of Trust (the "Trust").
1.2 Principal Office of the Trust. The principal
office of the Trust shall be located in New York, New York. Its
resident agent in Massachusetts shall be CT Corporation System,
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the Trustees from time to time may select.
ARTICLE 2
Meetings of Trustees
2.1 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the
Trustees may be held without call or notice at such places and
at such times as the Trustees from time to time may determine,
provided that notice of the first regular meeting following any
such determination shall be given to absent Trustees.
2.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the
Trustees may be held at any time and at any place designated in
the call of the meeting when called by the President or the
Treasurer or by two or more Trustees, sufficient notice thereof
being given to each Trustee by the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary or by the officer or the Trustees calling the meeting.
2.3 Notice of Special Meetings. It shall be
sufficient notice to a Trustee of a special meeting to send
notice by mail at least forty-eight hours or by telegram at
least twenty-four hours before the meeting addressed to the
Trustee at his or her usual or last known business or residence
address or to give notice to him or her in person or by
telephone at least twenty-four hours before the meeting. Notice
of a meeting need not be given to any Trustee if a written
waiver of notice, executed by him or her before or after the
meeting, is filed with the records of the meeting, or to any
Trustee who attends the meeting without protesting prior thereto
or at its commencement the lack of notice to him or her.
Neither notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a notice need
specify the purposes of the meeting.
2.4 Notice of Certain Actions by Consent. If in
accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust any
action is taken by the Trustees by a written consent of less
than all of the Trustees, then prompt notice of any such action
shall be furnished to each Trustee who did not execute such
written consent, provided that the effectiveness of such action
shall not be impaired by any delay or failure to furnish such
notice.
ARTICLE 3
Officers
3.1 Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the
Trust shall be a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such
other officers, if any, as the Trustees from time to time may in
their discretion elect. The Trust also may have such agents as
the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion appoint.
Officers may be but need not be a Trustee or shareholder. Any
two or more offices may be held by the same person.
3.2 Election. The President, the Treasurer and the
Secretary shall be elected by the Trustees upon the occurrence
of any vacancy in any such office. Other officers, if any, may
be elected or appointed by the Trustees at any time. Vacancies
in any such other office may be filled at any time.
3.3 Tenure. The President, Treasurer and Secretary
shall hold office in each case until he or she sooner dies,
resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Each other officer
shall hold office and each agent shall retain authority at the
pleasure of the Trustees.
3.4 Powers. Subject to the other provisions of these
By-Laws, each officer shall have, in addition to the duties and
powers herein and in the Declaration of Trust set forth, such
duties and powers as commonly are incident to the office
occupied by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a
Massachusetts business corporation or such other duties and
powers as the Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.5 President. Unless the Trustees otherwise
provide, the President shall preside at all meetings of the
shareholders and of the Trustees. Unless the Trustees otherwise
provide, the President shall be the chief executive officer.
3.6 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be the chief
financial and accounting officer of the Trust, and, subject to
the provisions of the Declaration of Trust and to any
arrangement made by the Trustees with a custodian, investment
adviser or manager, or transfer, shareholder servicing or
similar agent, shall be in charge of the valuable papers, books
of account and accounting records of the Trust, and shall have
such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to
time by the Trustees or by the President.
3.7 Secretary. The Secretary shall record all
proceedings of the shareholders and the Trustees in books to be
kept therefor, which books or a copy thereof shall be kept at
the principal office of the Trust. In the absence of the
Secretary from any meeting of the shareholders or Trustees, an
Assistant Secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is
absent, a temporary Secretary chosen at such meeting shall
record the proceedings thereof in the aforesaid books.
3.8 Resignations and Removals. Any Trustee or
officer may resign at any time by written instrument signed by
him or her and delivered to the President or Secretary or to a
meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective
upon receipt unless specified to be effective at some other
time. The Trustees may remove any officer elected by them with
or without cause. Except to the extent expressly provided in a
written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee or officer
resigning and no officer removed shall have any right to any
compensation for any period following his or her resignation or
removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal.
ARTICLE 4
Committees
4.1 Appointment. The Trustees may appoint from their
number an executive committee and other committees. Except as
the Trustees otherwise may determine, any such committee may
make rules for conduct of its business.
4.2 Quorum; Voting. A majority of the members of any
Committee of the Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business, and any action of such a Committee may
be taken at a meeting by a vote of a majority of the members
present (a quorum being present).
ARTICLE 5
Reports
The Trustees and officers shall render reports at the
time and in the manner required by the Declaration of Trust or
any applicable law. Officers and Committees shall render such
additional reports as they may deem desirable or as may from
time to time be required by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 6
Fiscal Year
Except as from time to time otherwise provided by the
Trustees, the fiscal year of the Trust shall end on April 30th
in each year.
ARTICLE 7
Seal
The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced
die with the word "Massachusetts," together with the name of the
Trust and the year of its organization cut or engraved thereon
but, unless otherwise required by the Trustees, the seal shall
not be necessary to be placed on, and in its absence shall not
impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper
executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 8
Execution of Papers
Except as the Trustees generally or in particular
cases may authorize the execution thereof in some other manner,
all deeds, leases, contracts, notes and other obligations made
by the Trustees shall be signed by the President, any Vice
President, or by the Treasurer and need not bear the seal of the
Trust.
ARTICLE 9
Issuance of Share Certificates
9.1 Sale of Shares. Except as otherwise determined
by the Trustees, the Trust will issue and sell for cash or
securities from time to time, full and fractional shares of its
shares of beneficial interest, such shares to be issued and sold
at a price of not less than net asset value per share as from
time to time determined in accordance with the Declaration of
Trust and these By-Laws and, in the case of fractional shares,
at a proportionate reduction in such price. In the case of
shares sold for securities, such securities shall be valued in
accordance with the provisions for determining value of assets
of the Trust as stated in the Declaration of Trust and these
By-Laws. The officers of the Trust are severally authorized to
take all such actions as may be necessary or desirable to carry
out this Section 9.1.
9.2 Share Certificates. In lieu of issuing
certificates for shares, the Trustees or the transfer agent
either may issue receipts therefor or may keep accounts upon the
books of the Trust for the record holders of such shares, who
shall in either case, for all purposes hereunder, be deemed to
be the holders of certificates for such shares as if they had
accepted such certificates and shall be held to have expressly
assented and agreed to the terms hereof.
The Trustees at any time may authorize the issuance of
share certificates. In that event, each shareholder shall be
entitled to a certificate stating the number of shares owned by
him, in such form as shall be prescribed from time to time by
the Trustees. Such certificate shall be signed by the President
or Vice President and by the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer.
Such signatures may be facsimile if the certificate is signed by
a transfer agent, or by a registrar, other than a Trustee,
officer or employee of the Trust. In case any officer who has
signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on
such certificate shall cease to be such officer before such
certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Trust with the
same effect as if he or she were such officer at the time of its
issue.
9.3 Loss of Certificates. The Trust, or if any
transfer agent is appointed for the Trust, the transfer agent
with the approval of any two officers of the Trust, is
authorized to issue and countersign replacement certificates for
the shares of the Trust which have been lost, stolen or
destroyed subject to the deposit of a bond or other indemnity in
such form and with such security, if any, as the Trustees may
require.
9.4 Discontinuance of Issuance of Certificates. The
Trustees at any time may discontinue the issuance of share
certificates and by written notice to each shareholder, may
require the surrender of share certificates to the Trust for
cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect
the ownership of shares in the Trust.
ARTICLE 10
Indemnification
10.1 Trustees, Officers, etc. The Trust shall
indemnify each of its Trustees and officers (including persons
who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or
trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any
interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (hereinafter
referred to as a "Covered Person") against all liabilities and
expenses, including but not limited to amounts paid in
satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and
penalties, and counsel fees reasonably incurred by any Covered
Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any
action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal,
before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which
such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party
or otherwise or with which such person may be or may have been
threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or
having been such a Trustee or officer, except with respect to
any matter as to which such Covered Person shall have been
finally adjudicated in a decision on the merits in any such
action, suit or other proceeding not to have acted in good faith
in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was
in the best interests of the Trust and except that no Covered
Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust
or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise
be subject by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of such Covered Person's office. Expenses, including
counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but
excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in
compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to
time by the Trust in advance of the final disposition or any
such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking
by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid
to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that indemnification
of such expenses is not authorized under this Article, provided
that (a) such Covered Person shall provide security for his
undertaking, (b) the Trust shall be insured against losses
arising by reason of such Covered Person's failure to fulfill
his undertaking, or (c) a majority of the Trustees who are
disinterested persons and who are not Interested Persons (as
that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940)
(provided that a majority of such Trustees then in office act on
the matter), or independent legal counsel in a written opinion,
shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts
(but not a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to
believe such Covered Person ultimately will be entitled to
indemnification.
10.2 Compromise Payment. As to any matter disposed
of (whether by a compromise payment, pursuant to a consent
decree or otherwise) without an adjudication in a decision on
the merits by a court, or by any other body before which the
proceeding was brought, that such Covered Person either (a) did
not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered
Person's action was in the best interests of the Trust or (b) is
liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of wilful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's
office, indemnification shall be provided if (a) approved as in
the best interest of the Trust, after notice that it involves
such indemnification, by at least a majority of the Trustees who
are disinterested persons and are not Interested Persons
(provided that a majority of such Trustees then in office act on
the matter), upon a determination, based upon a review of
readily available facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry) that
such Covered Person acted in good faith in the reasonable belief
that such Covered Person's action was in the best interests of
the Trust and is not liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by
reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such
Covered Person's office, or (b) there has been obtained an
opinion in writing of independent legal counsel, based upon a
review of readily available facts (but not a full trial-type
inquiry) to the effect that such Covered Person appears to have
acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered
Person's action was in the best interests of the Trust and that
such indemnification would not protect such Covered Person
against any liability to the Trust to which such Covered Person
would otherwise be subject by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of his office. Any approval pursuant to
this Section shall not prevent the recovery from any Covered
Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance
with this Section as indemnification if such Covered Person is
subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction
not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that
such Covered Person's action was in the best interests of the
Trust or to have been liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by
reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such
Covered Person's office.
10.3 Indemnification Not Exclusive. The right of
indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or
affect any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be
entitled. As used in this Article 10, the term "Covered Person"
shall include such person's heirs, executors and administrators,
and a "disinterested person" is a person against whom none of
the actions, suits or other proceedings in question or another
action, suit, or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds
is then or has been pending. Nothing contained in this article
shall affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel of
the Trust, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons
may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the
power of the Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance
on behalf of such person.
10.4 Limitation: Notwithstanding any provisions in
the Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws pertaining to
indemnification, all such provisions are limited by the
following undertaking set forth in the rules promulgated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission:
In the event that a claim for indemnifi-cation is
asserted by a Trustee, officer or controlling person
of the Trust in connection with the registered
securities of the Trust, the Trust will not make such
indemnification unless (i) the Trust has submitted,
before a court or other body, the question of whether
the person to be indemnified was liable by reason of
wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or
reckless disregard of duties, and has obtained a final
decision on the merits that such person was not liable
by reason of such conduct or (ii) in the absence of
such decision, the Trust shall have obtained a
reasonable determination, based upon a review of the
facts, that such person was not liable by virtue of
such conduct, by (a) the vote of a majority of
Trustees who are neither interested persons as such
term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940,
nor parties to the proceeding or (b) an independent
legal counsel in a written opinion.
The Trust will not advance attorneys' fees or
other expenses incurred by the person to be
indemnified unless the Trust shall have (i) received
an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay
the advance unless it is ultimately determined that
such person is entitled to indemnification and one of
the following conditions shall have occurred: (x)
such person shall provide security for his
undertaking, (y) the Trust shall be insured against
losses arising by reason of any lawful advances or (z)
a majority of the disinterested, non-party Trustees of
the Trust, or an independent legal counsel in a
written opinion, shall have determined that based on a
review of readily available facts there is reason to
believe that such person ultimately will be found
entitled to indemnification.
ARTICLE 11
Shareholders
11.1 Meetings. A meeting of the shareholders shall
be called by the Secretary whenever ordered by the Trustees, or
requested in writing by the holder or holders of at least 10% of
the outstanding shares entitled to vote at such meeting. If the
meeting is a meeting of the shareholders of one or more series
of shares, but not a meeting of all shareholders of the Trust,
then only the shareholders of such one or more series shall be
entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting. If the
Secretary, when so ordered or requested, refuses or neglects for
more than five days to call such meeting, the Trustees, or the
shareholders so requesting may, in the name of the Secretary,
call the meeting by giving notice thereof in the manner required
when notice is given by the Secretary.
11.2 Access to Shareholder List. Shareholders of
record may apply to the Trustees for assistance in communicating
with other shareholders for the purpose of calling a meeting in
order to vote upon the question of removal of a Trustee. When
ten or more shareholders of record who have been such for at
least six months preceding the date of application and who hold
in the aggregate shares having a net asset value of at least
$25,000 or at least 1% of the outstanding shares, whichever is
less, so apply, the Trustees shall within five business days
either:
(i) afford to such applicants access to a list
of names and addresses of all shareholders as recorded on the
books of the Trust; or
(ii) inform such applicants of the approximate
number of shareholders of record and the approximate cost of
mailing material to them and, within a reasonable time
thereafter, mail, at the applicants' expense, materials
submitted by the applicants, to all such shareholders of record.
The Trustees shall not be obligated to mail materials which they
believe to be misleading or in violation of applicable law.
11.3 Record Dates. For the purpose of determining
the shareholders of any series who are entitled to vote or act
at any meeting or any adjournment thereof, or who are entitled
to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution,
the Trustees from time to time may fix a time, which shall be
not more than 60 days before the date of any meeting of
shareholders or the date of payment of any dividend or of any
other distribution, as the record date for determining the
shareholders of such series having the right to notice of and to
vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof or the right to
receive such dividend or distribution, and in such case only
shareholders of record on such record date shall have such right
notwithstanding any transfer of shares on the books of the Trust
after the record date; or without fixing such record date the
Trustees may for any such purposes close the register or
transfer books for all or part of such period.
11.4 Place of Meetings. All meetings of the
shareholders shall be held at the principal office of the Trust
or at such other place within the United States as shall be
designated by the Trustees or the President of the Trust.
11.5 Notice of Meetings. A written notice of each
meeting of shareholders, stating the place, date and hour and
the purposes of the meeting, shall be given at least ten days
before the meeting to each shareholder entitled to vote thereat
by leaving such notice with him or at his residence or usual
place of business or by mailing it, postage prepaid, and
addressed to such shareholder at his address as it appears in
the records of the Trust. Such notice shall be given by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by an officer designated
by the Trustees. No notice of any meeting of shareholders need
be given to a shareholder if a written waiver of notice,
executed before or after the meeting by such shareholder or his
attorney thereunto duly authorized, is filed with the records of
the meeting.
11.6 Ballots. No ballot shall be required for any
unless requested by a shareholder present or represented at the
meeting and entitled to vote in the election.
11.7 Proxies. Shareholders entitled to vote may vote
either in person or by proxy in writing dated not more than six
months before the meeting named therein, which proxies shall be
filed with the Secretary or other person responsible to record
the proceedings of the meeting before being voted. Unless
otherwise specifically limited by their terms, such proxies
shall entitle the holders thereof to vote at any adjournment of
such meeting but shall not be valid after the final adjournment
of such meeting.
ARTICLE 12
Amendments to the By-Laws
These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or
in part, by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any
meeting of the Trustees, or by one or more writings signed by
such a majority.
Dated: May 13, 1985
