New York State enacted the Personal Privacy Protection Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6-A, sections 91-99) in 1984 to recognize public concern about privacy and the relationship between government and the people.
New York doesn't issue a general business license at the state level. Additionally, many cities in New York don't require businesses to obtain a general license. Typically, your industry and the kinds of goods and services you provide will determine whether you need a license to operate.
(a) The board of directors shall consist of one or more members. The number of directors constituting the board may be fixed by the by-laws, or by action of the shareholders or of the board under the specific provisions of a by-law adopted by the shareholders.
New York residents are subject to New York state and U.S. federal laws. Federal laws apply in New York as they do across all 50 states. In addition to the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the U.S., federal laws include statutes that are periodically codified in the U.S. Code.
(b) The certificate of incorporation may provide that all officers or that specified officers shall be elected by the shareholders instead of by the board. “May” in each of these subsections means that officers are optional. In contrast, a NY corporation must have a board of directors (Section 701).
Corporate bylaws are required by state law in New York, but you don't need to file your bylaws with the NY Department of State. The law stipulates that your bylaws must be adopted by your incorporators during your company's initial organization meeting.
There's plenty of work that goes into writing bylaws, so let's break down what you need to get writing! Research. Form a committee. Create the structure. Outline your organization's key roles and responsibilities. Establish your meeting rules. Define your membership. Address finances. Outline the amendment process.
Do bylaws need to be signed? No, but you'll want to make sure your bylaws are signed, even though New York statutes don't explicitly require bylaws to be signed. Having bylaws signed by your officers and directors shows that everyone in your corporation is on the same page.
Some of the most essential elements that need to be included in a draft bylaw are your organization's name and purpose, information about memberships, the roles and duties of board members, how to handle financial information, and an outline of how to keep the bylaws up to date or amended.