Collapse to view only § 620.21 - Contents of the information statement.

§ 620.20 - Preparing and distributing the information statement.

(a)(1) Each Farm Credit bank and association must prepare and provide an information statement (“statement” or “AMIS”) to its shareholders at least 10 business days, but not more than 30 business days, before any annual meeting or any director elections.

(2) Each Farm Credit bank and association must provide the Farm Credit Administration an electronic copy of the AMIS when issued.

(3) In addition to the mailed AMIS, each Farm Credit bank and association may post its AMIS on its Web site. Any AMIS posted on an institution's Web site must remain on the Web site for a reasonable period of time, but not less than 30 calendar days.

(b) Every AMIS must be dated and signed in accordance with the requirements of § 620.3(b) of this part.

(c) Every AMIS must be available for public inspection at all offices of the issuing institution pursuant to § 620.2(b) of this part.

[75 FR 18744, Apr. 12, 2010]

§ 620.21 - Contents of the information statement.

(a) An AMIS must, at a minimum, address the following items:

(1) Date, time, and place of the meeting(s). Notice of the date, time, and meeting location(s) must be provided at least 10 business days, but no more than 30 business days, before the meeting. If the Farm Credit bank or association will use an online meeting space as part of its meeting, the notice must also specify the date, time, and means of accessing the online meeting space. This information does not need to be part of an AMIS issued by a Farm Credit bank if no meeting is held.

(2) Voting shareholders. For each class of stock entitled to vote at the meeting, state the number of shareholders entitled to vote and, when shareholders are asked to vote on preferred stock, the number of shares entitled to vote. State the record date as of which the shareholders entitled to vote will be determined and the voting requirements for each matter to be voted upon. If association directors are nominated or elected by region, describe the regions and state the number of voting shareholders entitled to vote in each region.

(3) Financial updates. Each AMIS must reference the most recently issued annual report required by subpart B of this part. The AMIS must also include such other information considered material and necessary to make the required contents of the AMIS, in light of the circumstances under which it is made, not misleading.

(i) If any transactions between the institution and its senior officers and directors of the type required to be disclosed in the annual report to shareholders under § 620.6(e), or any of the events required to be disclosed in the annual report to shareholders under § 620.6(f) have occurred since the end of the last fiscal year and were not disclosed in the annual report to shareholders, the disclosures required by § 620.6(e) and (f) shall be made with respect to such transactions or events in the information statement. If any material change in the matters disclosed in the annual report to shareholders pursuant to § 620.6(e) and (f) has occurred since the annual report to shareholders was prepared, disclosure shall be made of such change in the information statement.

(ii) If a Farm Credit institution has had a change or changes in its external auditor(s) since the last annual report to shareholders, or if a disagreement with an external auditor has occurred, the institution shall disclose the information required by § 621.4(c) and (d) of this chapter.

(4) Directors. State the names and ages of persons currently serving as directors of the institution, their terms of office, and the periods during which such persons have served. Institutions must also state the type or types of agriculture or aquaculture engaged in by each director. No information need be given with respect to any director whose term of office as a director will not continue after any meeting to which the statement relates.

(i) Identify by name any incumbent director who attended fewer than 75 percent of the board meetings or any meetings of board committees on which he or she served during the last fiscal year.

(ii) If any director resigned or declined to stand for reelection since the last annual meeting because of a policy disagreement with the board, and if the director has provided a notice requesting disclosure of the nature of the disagreement, state the date of the director's resignation and summarize the director's description of the disagreement. If the institution holds a different view of the disagreement, the institution's view may be summarized as well.

(b) An AMIS issued for director elections must also include the information required by this paragraph.

(1) Provide the nominating committee's slate of director-nominees. If fewer than two director-nominees for each position are named, describe the efforts of the nominating committee to locate two willing nominees.

(2) Provide, as part of the AMIS, the director-nominee disclosure information collected under § 611.330 of this chapter. Institutions may either restate such information in a standard format or provide complete copies of each nominee's disclosure statement.

(3) State whether nominations will be accepted from the floor and explain the procedures for making floor nominations.

(c) When the nominating committee will be elected during director elections, notice to voting shareholders of this event must be included in the AMIS. The AMIS must describe the balloting procedures that will be used to elect the nominating committee, including whether floor nominations for committee members will be permitted. The AMIS must state the number of committee positions to be filled and the names of the nominees for the committee.

(d) If shareholders are asked to vote on matters not normally required to be submitted to shareholders for approval, the AMIS must describe fully the material circumstances surrounding the matter, the reason shareholders are asked to vote, and the vote required for approval of the proposition. The AMIS must describe any other matter that will be discussed at the meeting upon which shareholder vote is not required.

[75 FR 18744, Apr. 12, 2010, as amended at 77 FR 60601, Oct. 3, 2012]