a. A bank may, without order or judgment of a court or officer, merge or combine two or more of its own or its affiliate banks’ common trust funds into a single common trust fund, which single common trust fund may be administered by the bank or by its affiliate bank; provided that:

(1) The combination or merger does not contravene the terms of the written plan for each of the funds to be merged or combined.

(2) There is a written plan governing the merger or combination of the funds which has been approved by the board of directors, or by a duly authorized committee of the bank or banks, which plan shall contain provisions, including, but not limited to, a designation of which of the merging or combining common trust funds shall be the surviving common trust fund, a specification of any amendments or changes in the plan of operation of the surviving common trust fund, and a provision governing the conversion of units of participation in the funds to be merged or combined into units of participation in the surviving common trust fund, including the payment of cash for fractional units.

(3) Each trust estate having a participation in the common trust funds to be merged or combined shall receive units in the surviving common trust fund based on its pro rata interest in the value of the assets of the merging or combining common trust funds as determined according to subsection b. of section 40 of P.L.1948, c.67 (C. 17:9A-40).

b. As used in this section, “common trust fund,” “bank,” “participation,” “trust estate,” and “affiliate bank” shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 36 of P.L.1948, c.67 (C. 17:9A-36).

L.1985,c.528,s.5; amended 1990,c.22,s.1.