17-19-1710. Continuance of foreign corporations.

(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, any nonprofit corporation incorporated for any purpose under the laws of any jurisdiction other than this state, and so long as the corporation complies with W.S. 17-19-301(b), may, if the jurisdiction will acknowledge the corporation's termination of domicile in the foreign jurisdiction, apply to the secretary of state for registration under this act, thus continuing the foreign corporation in Wyoming as if it had been incorporated in this state. The secretary of state may issue a certificate of registration upon receipt of an application supported by articles of continuance as provided by this act together with the statements, information and documents set out in subsection (c) of this section. The certificate of registration may then be issued subject to any limitations and conditions and may contain any provisions as may appear proper to the secretary of state.

(b) The secretary of state shall cause notice of issuance of a certificate of registration to be given forthwith to the proper officer of the jurisdiction in which the corporation was previously incorporated.

(c) The articles of continuance filed by a foreign corporation with the secretary of state shall contain:

(i) A certified copy of its original articles of incorporation and all amendments thereto or its equivalent basic corporate charter or other authorization;

(ii) The name of the corporation and the jurisdiction under the laws of which it is incorporated;

(iii) The date of incorporation and the period of duration of the corporation;

(iv) The address of the principal office of the corporation;

(v) The address of the proposed registered office of the corporation in this state and the name of its proposed registered agent in this state at the address;

(vi) The purpose or purposes of the corporation which it proposes to pursue in the transaction of business in this state;

(vii) The names and respective addresses of the directors and officers of the corporation;

(viii) A statement of whether it is a public benefit corporation, a mutual benefit corporation or a religious corporation;

(ix) A statement whether the corporation has members;

(x) A statement that the corporation accepts the constitution of this state in compliance with the requirements of article 10, section 5 of the Wyoming constitution;

(xi) Any additional information necessary or appropriate to enable the secretary of state to determine whether the corporation is entitled to a certificate of registration evidencing its authority to transact its affairs and business in the state; and

(xii) Any additional information permitted in articles of incorporation under W.S. 17-19-202.

(d) The application shall be executed by the corporation by its president or other officer, director, trustee, manager or person performing functions equivalent to those of a president and who is authorized to execute the application on behalf of the corporation and shall be verified by the officer signing the application.

(e) The provisions of the articles of continuance may, without expressly so stating, vary from the provisions of the corporation's articles of incorporation or equivalent basic corporate charter or other authorization, if the variation is one which a corporation incorporated under this act could effect by way of amendment to its articles of incorporation. Upon issuance of a certificate of continuance by the secretary of state, the articles of continuance shall be deemed to be the articles of incorporation of the continued corporation. The corporation may elect to incorporate by reference in the articles of continuance its basic corporate charter or other authorization which had been adopted by the corporation in the foreign jurisdiction, in order to permit the same to continue to act as the articles of incorporation of the corporation, provided, however, that such basic corporate charter or other authorization shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to make the same conform to the laws of Wyoming and to the provisions of the articles of continuance.

(f) Except for the purpose of W.S. 16-6-101 through 16-6-118, the existence of any corporation heretofore or hereafter issued a certificate of continuance under this act shall be deemed to have commenced on the date the corporation commenced its existence in the jurisdiction in which the corporation was first formed, incorporated or otherwise came into being. The laws of Wyoming shall apply to a corporation continuing under this act to the same extent as if the corporation had been incorporated under the laws of Wyoming from and after the issuance of a certificate of continuance under this act by the secretary of state to the corporation. When a foreign corporation is continued as a corporation under this act, such continuance shall not affect the corporation's ownership of its property or liability for any existing obligations, causes of action, claims, pending or threatened prosecutions or civil or administrative actions, convictions, rulings, orders, judgments or any other characteristics or aspects of the corporation and its existence.

(g) A membership issued before the corporation's continuance in Wyoming is deemed to have been issued in compliance with this act and the provisions of the articles of continuance. Continuance under this act does not deprive a member of any right or privilege that he claims under, or relieve the member of any liability in respect of, an issued membership.

(h) As used in this section, the term "corporation" shall include any incorporated organization, foundation, trust, association or similar entity which appears to the secretary of state to possess characteristics sufficiently similar to those of a corporation organized under this act.