Registration No. 33-23566
File No. 811-5586
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 / X /
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. ___ / /
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 11 / X /
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 / X /
Amendment No. 12 / X /
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
212-323-0200
(Registrant's Telephone Number)
ANDREW J. DONOHUE, ESQ.
Oppenheimer Management Corporation
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
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(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
/ / Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
/ / On ______________ pursuant to paragraph (b)
/ / 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/ X / On November 1, 1995, pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/ / 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
/ / On _______ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
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The Registrant has registered an indefinite number of shares under the
Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Rule 24f-2 promulgated under the
Investment Company Act of 1940. A Rule 24f-2 Notice for the Registrant's
fiscal year ended December 31, 1994, was filed on February 27, 1995.
<PAGE>
FORM N-1A
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
Cross Reference Sheet
Part A of
Form N-1A
Item No. Prospectus Heading
1 Front Cover Page
2 Expenses; Brief Overview of the Fund
3 Financial Highlights; Performance of the Fund
4 Front Cover Page; How the Fund is Managed-- Organization and
History; Investment Objective and Policies
5 How the Fund is Managed; Expenses; Back Cover
5A Performance of the Fund
6 How the Fund is Managed--Organization and History; The
Transfer Agent; Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes;
Investment Objectives and Policies-Portfolio Turnover
7 Shareholder Account Rules and Policies; How to Buy Shares;
How to Exchange Shares; Special Investor Services; Service
Plan for Class A shares; Distribution and Service Plan for
Class B Shares; Distribution and Service Plan for Class C
Shares; How to Sell Shares
8 How to Sell Shares; Special Investor Services
9 *
Part B of
Form N-1A
Item No. Heading in Statement of Additional Information or Prospectus
10 Cover Page
11 Cover Page
12 *
13 Investment Objective and Policies; Other Investment
Techniques and Strategies; Additional Investment Restrictions
14 How the Fund is Managed; Trustees and Officers of the Fund
15 How the Fund is Managed; Major Shareholders
16 How the Fund is Managed; Distribution and Service Plans
17 Brokerage Policies of the Fund
18 Additional Information about the Fund
19 Your Investment Account-How to Buy Shares; How to Sell
Shares; How to Exchange Shares
20 Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
21 How the Fund is Managed; Brokerage Policies of the Fund
22 Performance of the Fund
23 Financial Statements
_____________
* Not applicable or negative answer.
<PAGE>
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
Prospectus dated November 1, 1995
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund is a mutual fund that seeks as high
a level of current interest income exempt from Federal and California
income taxes for individual investors as is consistent with preservation
of capital. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80%
of its assets in Municipal Securities and at least 65% of its total assets
in California Municipal Securities. However, in times of unstable
economic or market conditions, the Fund's investment manager may deem it
advisable to temporarily invest an unlimited amount of the Fund's total
assets in certain taxable instruments. The Fund also uses "hedging"
instruments, to seek to reduce the risks of market fluctuations that
affect the value of the securities the Fund holds. You should carefully
review the risks associated with an investment in the Fund. Please refer
to "Investment Policies and Strategies" for more information about the
types of securities the Fund invests in and the risks of investing in the
Fund.
This Prospectus explains concisely what you should know before
investing in the Fund. Please read this Prospectus carefully and keep it
for future reference. You can find more detailed information about the
Fund in the November 1, 1995 Statement of Additional Information. For a
free copy, call Oppenheimer Shareholder Services, the Fund's Transfer
Agent, at 1-800-525-7048, or write to the Transfer Agent at the address
on the back cover. The Statement of Additional Information has been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated into this
Prospectus by reference (which means that it is legally part of this
Prospectus).
Shares of the Fund are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not
guaranteed by any bank, and are not insured by the F.D.I.C. or any other
agency, and involve investment risks including the possible loss of the
principal amount invested.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION
PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
<PAGE>
Contents
ABOUT THE FUND
Expenses
A Brief Overview of the Fund
Financial Highlights
Investment Objective and Policies
How the Fund is Managed
Performance of the Fund
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
How to Buy Shares
Class A Shares
Class B Shares
Class C Shares
Special Investor Services
AccountLink
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans
Reinvestment Privilege
How to Sell Shares
By Mail
By Telephone
By Checkwriting
How to Exchange Shares
Shareholder Account Rules and Policies
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
<PAGE>
ABOUT THE FUND
Expenses
The Fund pays a variety of expenses directly for management of its
assets, administration, distribution of its shares and other services, and
those expenses are subtracted from the Fund's assets to calculate the
Fund's net asset value per share. All shareholders therefore pay those
expenses indirectly. Shareholders pay other expenses directly, such as
sales charges and account transaction charges. The following tables are
provided to help you understand your direct expenses of investing in the
Fund and your share of the Fund's business operating expenses that you
will bear indirectly. The numbers below are based on the Fund's expenses
during its last fiscal year ended December 31, 1994.
- Shareholder Transaction Expenses are charges you pay when you buy or
sell shares of the Fund. Please refer to "About Your Account," from pages
- --- through --- for an explanation of how and when these charges apply.
Class A Class B Class C
Shares Shares Shares
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Maximum Sales 4.75% None None
Charge on Purchases
(as a % of offering price)
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Sales Charge on None None None
Reinvested Dividends
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Deferred Sales Charge None(1) 5% in the 1% if
first year, shares are
1% in the within 12
sixth year months of
and eliminated of
thereafter purchase(2)
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Exchange Fee None None None
(1) If you invest $1 million or more in Class A shares, you may have to
pay a sales charge of up to 1% if you sell your shares within 18 calendar
months from the end of the calendar month in which you purchased those
shares. See "How to Buy Shares - Class A Shares," below.
(2) See "How to Buy Shares," below for more information on the contingent
deferred sales charge.
- Annual Fund Operating Expenses are paid out of the Fund's assets
and represent the Fund's expenses in operating its business. For example,
the Fund pays management fees to its investment adviser, Oppenheimer
Management Corporation (referred to in this Prospectus as the "Manager").
The rates of the Manager's fees are set forth in "How the Fund is
Managed," below. The Fund has other regular expenses for services, such
as transfer agent fees, custodial fees paid to the bank that holds its
portfolio securities, audit fees and legal expenses. Those expenses are
detailed in the Fund's Financial Statements in the Statement of Additional
Information.
The numbers in the table below are projections of the Fund's business
expenses based on the Fund's expenses in its last fiscal year. These
amounts are shown as a percentage of the average net assets of each class
of the Fund's shares for that year. The 12b-1 Distribution Plan Fees for
Class A shares are Service Plan Fees (the maximum fee is 0.25% of average
annual net assets of that class), and for Class B and Class C shares are
the Distribution and Service Plan Fees (the maximum service fee of 0.25%
of average annual net assets of that class) and the asset-based sales
charge is 0.75%. These plans are described in greater detail in "How to
Buy Shares."
The actual expenses for each class of shares in future years may be
more or less than the numbers in the table, depending on a number of
factors, including changes in the actual value of the Fund's assets
represented by each class of shares. Class C shares were not publicly
offered during the fiscal year ended December 31, 1994. Therefore, the
Annual Fund Operating Expenses for Class C shares are estimates based on
amounts that would have been payable in that period assuming that Class
C shares were outstanding during such fiscal year.
Class A Class B Class C
Shares Shares Shares
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management Fees 0.59 % 0.59% 0.59%
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12b-1 Service and/or 0.25% 1.00% 1.00%
Distribution Plan Fees
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Other Expenses 0.12% 0.14% 0.14%
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Total Fund Operating Expenses 0.96% 1.73% 1.73%
- Examples. To try to show the effect of these expenses on an
investment over time, we have created the hypothetical examples shown
below. Assume that you make a $1,000 investment in each class of shares
of the Fund, and that the Fund's annual return is 5%, and that its
operating expenses for each class are the ones shown in the Annual Fund
Operating Expenses table above. If you were to redeem your shares at the
end of each period shown below, your investment would incur the following
expenses by the end of 1, 3, 5 and 10 years:
1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years*
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Shares $57 $77 $98 $160
Class B Shares $68 $84 $114 $165
Class C Shares $ $ $ $
If you did not redeem your investment, it would incur the following
expenses:
1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years*
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Class A Shares $57 $77 $98 $160
Class B Shares $18 $54 $94 $165
Class C Shares $ $ $ $
*The Class B expenses in years 7 through 10 are based on the Class A
expenses shown above, because the Fund automatically converts your
Class B shares into Class A shares after 6 years. Long-term Class B and
Class C shareholders could pay the economic equivalent of more than the
maximum front-end sales charge allowed under applicable regulations,
because of the effect of the asset-based sales charge and contingent
deferred sales charge. For Class B shareholders, the automatic
conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares is designed to minimize
the likelihood that this will occur. Please refer to "How to Buy Shares
- Buying Class B Shares" for more information.
These examples show the effect of expenses on an investment, but are
not meant to state or predict actual or expected costs or investment
returns of the Fund, all of which will vary.
A Brief Overview of the Fund
Some of the important facts about the Fund are summarized below, with
references to the section of this Prospectus where more complete
information can be found. You should carefully read the entire Prospectus
before making a decision about investing in the Fund. Keep the Prospectus
for reference after you invest, particularly for information about your
account, such as how to sell or exchange shares.
- What Is The Fund's Investment Objective? The Fund's investment
objective is to seek as high a level of current interest income exempt
from Federal and California income taxes for individual investors as is
consistent with preservation of capital.
- What Does the Fund Invest In? To seek its objective, the Fund
primarily invests in municipal securities the interest of which is exempt
from Federal and California individual income tax. The Fund may also use
hedging instruments and certain derivative investments to try to manage
investment risks. These investments are more fully explained in
"Investment Objective and Policies" starting on page __.
- Who Manages the Fund? The Fund's investment adviser (the
"Manager") is Oppenheimer Management Corporation, which (including a
subsidiary) manages investment company portfolios currently having over
$35 billion in assets at June 30, 1995. The Manager is paid an advisory
fee by the Fund, based on its assets. The Fund's portfolio manager is
Robert E. Patterson who is employed by the Manager. He is primarily
responsible for the selection of the Fund's securities. The Fund's Board
of Trustees, elected by shareholders, oversees the investment adviser and
the portfolio manager. Please refer to "How the Fund is Managed,"
starting on page ___ for more information about the Manager and its fees.
- How Risky is the Fund? All investments carry risks to some
degree. The Fund's investments in municipal bonds are subject to changes
in their value from a number of factors such as changes in general bond
market movements, the change in value of particular bonds because of an
event affecting the issuer, or changes in interest rates that can affect
bond prices. These changes affect the value of the Fund's investments and
its price per share. The fact that the Fund concentrates it investments
in California Municipal Securities or the Fund's ability to invest in a
single issuer or limited number of issuers entails greater risk than an
investment in a diversified investment company. In the OppenheimerFunds
spectrum, the Fund is generally more conservative than high yield bond
funds, but more aggressive than money market funds. While the Manager
tries to reduce risks by diversifying investments, by carefully
researching securities before they are purchased for the portfolio, and
in some cases by using hedging techniques, there is no guarantee of
success in achieving the Fund's objectives and your shares may be worth
more or less than their original cost when you redeem them. Please refer
to "Investment Objective and Policies" starting on page for a more
complete discussion.
- How Can I Buy Shares? You can buy shares through your dealer or
financial institution, or you can purchase shares directly through the
Distributor by completing an Application or by using an Automatic
Investment Plan under AccountLink. Please refer to "How To Buy Shares"
on page ___ for more details.
- Will I Pay a Sales Charge to Buy Shares? The Fund has three
classes of shares. All Classes have the same investment portfolio but
different expenses. Class A shares are offered with a front-end sales
charge, starting at 4.75%, and reduced for larger purchases. Class B
shares are offered without a front-end sales charge, but if you sell your
shares within six years of buying them, you will normally pay a contingent
deferred sales charge that varies depending on how long you owned your
shares. Class C shares are offered without a front-end sales charge, but
may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1% if redeemed
within one year of buying them. There is also an annual asset-based sales
charge on Class B shares. Please review "How To Buy Shares" starting on
page ___ for more details, including a discussion about factors you and
your financial advisor should consider in determining which class may be
appropriate for you.
- How Can I Sell My Shares? Shares can be redeemed by mail or by
telephone call to the Transfer Agent on any business day, or through your
dealer or, by writing a check against your Fund account (available for
Class A shares only). Please refer to "How To Sell Shares" on page ___.
The Fund also offers exchange privileges to other OppenheimerFunds,
described in "How to Exchange Shares" on page ____.
- How Has the Fund Performed? The Fund measures its performance by
quoting its yield, average annual total return and cumulative total
return, which measure historical performance. Those yields and returns
can be compared to the yields and returns (over similar periods) of other
funds. Of course, other funds may have different objectives, investments,
and levels of risk. The Fund's performance can also be compared to a
broad market index, which we have done on page ___. Please remember that
past performance does not guarantee future results.
Financial Highlights
The table on the following pages presents selected financial
information about the Fund, including per share data and expense ratios
and other data based on the Fund's average net assets. This information
has been audited by KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, the Fund's independent
auditors, whose report on the Fund's financial statements for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 1994, is included in the Statement of Additional
Information. Class C shares were not publicly offered prior to November
1, 1995. Accordingly, no information on Class C shares is reflected in
the table below or in the Fund's financial statements for the six months
ended June 30, 1995 or for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1994.
<PAGE>
Investment Objective and Policies
Objective. The Fund's objective is to seek as high a level of current
interest income exempt from Federal and California income taxes for
individual investors as is available from investment in Municipal
Securities (defined below), consistent with preservation of capital. The
Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program, and there is no
assurance that it will achieve its objective.
Investment Policies and Strategies. Under normal market conditions, the
Fund attempts to invest 100% of its total assets, and, as a matter of
fundamental policy, to invest at least 80% of its total assets, in
Municipal Securities. In addition, under normal market conditions, the
Fund will invest at least 65% of its total assets in California Municipal
Securities.
Dividends paid by the Fund derived from interest attributable to
California Municipal Securities will be exempt from Federal individual
income taxes. Such dividends will also be exempt from California
individual income taxes provided that at the close of each quarter, at
least 50% of the value of the Fund's assets are invested in obligations
the interest of which is exempt from taxation under California law when
held by an individual. Dividends derived from interest on Municipal
Securities of other governmental issuers will be exempt from Federal
individual income tax, but will be subject to California individual income
taxes. Any net interest income on taxable investments and repurchase
agreements will be taxable as ordinary income when distributed to
shareholders.
- Municipal Securities. Municipal Securities are municipal bonds and
municipal notes and municipal commercial paper, certificates of
participation and other debt obligations issued by or on behalf of the
State of California, other states and the District of Columbia, their
political subdivisions or any commonwealth, territory or possession of the
United States, or their respective agencies, instrumentalities or
authorities, the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel
to the respective issuer at the time of issue, not subject to Federal
individual income tax. California Municipal Securities are obligations
of the State of California and its political subdivisions, and their
respective agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, the interest from
which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the respective issuer at the
time of issue, not subject to California individual income tax. No
independent investigation has been made by the Manager as to the users of
proceeds of bond offerings or the application of such proceeds. It is
anticipated that the Municipal Securities purchased for the Fund's
portfolio will normally be those having relatively longer maturities
(approximately 7 to 30 years), but the Fund may invest in Municipal
Securities having a broad range of maturities.
"Municipal bonds" are Municipal Securities that have a maturity when
issued of one year or more and "municipal notes" are Municipal Securities
that have a maturity when issued of less than one year. The two principal
classifications of Municipal Securities are "general obligations" (secured
by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the
payment of principal and interest) and "revenue obligations" (payable only
from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of
facilities, or specific excise tax or other revenue source). The Fund may
invest in municipal securities of both classifications.
- Special Considerations - California Municipal Securities. Because
the Fund concentrates its investments in California Municipal Securities,
the market value and marketability of such Municipal Securities and the
interest income to the Fund from them could be adversely affected by a
default or a financial crisis relating to any of such issuers. Investors
should consider these matters as well as economic trends in California,
summarized in the Statement of Additional Information under "Special
Investment Considerations - California Municipal Securities."
- Interest Rate Risks. In addition to credit risks, described
below, Municipal Securities are subject to changes in value due to changes
in prevailing interest rates. When prevailing interest rates fall, the
values of outstanding Municipal Securities generally rise and (if
purchased at principal amount) would sell at a premium. Conversely, when
interest rates rise, the values of outstanding Municipal Securities
generally decline and (if purchased at principal amount) would sell at a
discount. The magnitude of these fluctuations will be greater when the
average maturity of the portfolio is longer.
- Credit Risks. Municipal Securities are also subject to credit
risks. Credit risk relates to the ability of the issuer of a Municipal
Security to make interest or principal payments on the security as they
become due. The economic and other factors that can affect that ability
are summarized in the Statement of Additional Information under "Special
Investment Considerations-California Municipal Securities." While the
Manager may rely to some extent on credit ratings by nationally recognized
rating agencies, such as Standard & Poor's or Moody's, in evaluating the
credit risk of securities selected for the Fund's portfolio, it may also
use its own research and analysis. However, many factors affect an
issuer's ability to make timely payments, and there can be no assurance
that the credit risks of a particular security will not change over time.
- Municipal Lease Obligations. The Fund may invest in certificates
of participation which are tax-exempt obligations that evidence the
holder's right to share in lease, installment loan or other financing
payments by a public entity. Projects financed with certificates of
participation generally are not subject to state constitutional debt
limitations or other statutory requirements that may be applicable to
Municipal Securities. Payments by the public entity on the obligation
underlying the certificates are derived from available revenue sources,
such revenue may be diverted to the funding of other municipal service
projects. Payments of interest and/or principal with respect to the
certificates are not guaranteed. While some municipal lease securities
may be deemed to be "illiquid" securities (the purchase of which would be
limited as described below in "Illiquid and Restricted Securities"), from
time to time the Fund may invest more than 5% of its net assets in
municipal lease obligations that the Manager has determined to be liquid
under guidelines set by the Board of Trustees. See "Investment Objective
and Policies-Municipal Securities-Municipal Lease Obligations" in the
Statement of Additional Information for more details.
- Investments in Taxable Securities and Temporary Defensive
Investment Strategy. Under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest
up to 20% of its assets in taxable investments, including (i) certain
"Temporary Investments" (described immediately below); (ii) covered call
options and Hedging Instruments (described in "Hedging" below); (iii)
repurchase agreements (explained below); and (iv) municipal securities
issued to benefit a private user ("Private Activity Municipal
Securities"), the interest from which may be subject to Federal
alternative minimum tax (see "Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes," below,
and "Private Activity Municipal Securities" in the Statement of Additional
Information).
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of
its total assets in "Temporary Investments," including: (i) obligations
issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or
instrumentalities; (ii) corporate debt securities rated within the three
highest grades by Moody's or Standard & Poor's; (iii) commercial paper
rated "A-1" by Standard & Poor's or "Prime-1" by Moody's; and (iv)
certificates of deposit of domestic banks with assets of $1 billion or
more. The Fund may hold Temporary Investments pending the investment of
proceeds from the sale of Fund shares or portfolio securities, or to meet
anticipated redemptions.
- Floating Rate/Variable Rate Obligations. Some of the Municipal
Securities the Fund may purchase may have variable or floating interest
rates. Variable rates are adjusted at stated periodic intervals.
Floating rates are automatically adjusted according to a specified market
rate for such investments, such as the percentage of the prime rate of a
bank, or the 91-day U.S. Treasury Bill rate. Such obligations may be
secured by bank letters of credit or other credit support arrangements.
See "Floating Rate/Variable Rate Obligations" in the Statement of
Additional Information for more details.
- Inverse Floaters and Other Derivative Investments. The Fund may
invest in variable rate bonds known as "inverse floaters." These bonds
pay interest at a rate that varies as the yields generally available on
short-term tax-exempt bonds change. However, the yields on inverse
floaters move in the opposite direction of yields on short-term bonds in
response to market changes. When the yields on short-term tax-exempt
bonds go up, the interest rate on the inverse floater goes down. When the
yields on short-term tax-exempt bonds go down, the interest rate on the
inverse floater goes up. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce
less current income. Inverse floaters are a type of "derivative
security," which is a specially designed investment whose performance is
linked to the performance of another security or investment. Some inverse
floaters have a "cap" whereby if interest rates rise above the "cap," the
security pays additional interest income. If rates do not rise above the
"cap," the Fund will have paid an additional amount for a feature that
proves worthless. The Fund may also invest in municipal derivative
securities that pay interest that depends on an external pricing
mechanism. Examples are interest rate swaps or caps and municipal bond
or swap indices. The Fund anticipates that it would invest no more than
10% of its total assets in inverse floaters.
The risks of investing in derivative investments include not only the
ability of the issuer of the derivative investment to pay the amount due
on the maturity of the investment, but also the risk that the underlying
security or investment might not perform the way the Manager expected it
to perform. That can mean that the Fund will realize less income than
expected. Another risk of investing in derivative investments is that
their market value could be expected to vary to a much greater extent than
the market value of municipal securities that are not derivative
investments but have similar credit quality, redemption provisions and
maturities.
- Ratings of Municipal Securities; Special Risks of Lower Rated
Municipal Securities. No more than 25% of the Fund's total assets will
be invested in Municipal Securities that at the time of purchase are not
"investment grade," that is, rated below the four highest rating
categories of Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), Standard &
Poor's Corporation ("S&P") and Fitch Investors Service, Inc. ("Fitch").
rating category for the purposes of this limitation. (See Appendix A to
the Statement of Additional Information for a description of those
ratings). A reduction of the rating of a security after its purchase by
the Fund will not require the Fund to dispose of such security.
Lower-grade Municipal Securities (sometimes called "municipal junk
bonds") may be subject to greater market fluctuations and are subject to
greater risks of loss of income and principal than higher-rated Municipal
Securities, and may be considered to have some speculative
characteristics. Securities that are or that have fallen below investment
grade entail a greater risk that the ability of the issuers of such
securities to meet their debt obligations will be impaired. There may be
less of a market for lower-grade Municipal Securities and therefore they
may be harder to sell at an acceptable price. These risks mean that the
Fund may not achieve the expected income from lower-grade Municipal
Securities, and that the Fund's income and net asset value per share may
be affected by declines in value of these securities. However, the Fund's
limitations on investments in non-investment grade Municipal Securities
may reduce some of these risks.
- Portfolio Turnover. A change in the securities held by the Fund
is known as "portfolio turnover." The Fund ordinarily does not engage in
the trading of securities for the purpose of realizing short-term gains,
but the Fund may sell securities as the Manager deems advisable to take
advantage of differentials in yield to accomplish the Fund's investment
objective. The "Financial Highlights," above, show the Fund's portfolio
turnover rate during the past fiscal years. While short-term trading
increases portfolio turnover, the Fund incurs little or no brokerage costs
because most of the Fund's portfolio transactions are principal trades
without brokerage commissions.
- Can the Fund's Investment Objective and Policies Change? The Fund
has an investment objective, which is described above, as well as
investment policies that it follows to try to achieve its objective.
Additionally, the Fund uses certain investment techniques and strategies
in carrying out those investment policies. The Fund's investment policies
and techniques are not "fundamental" unless this Prospectus or the
Statement of Additional Information says that a particular policy is
"fundamental." The Fund's investment objective is a fundamental policy.
Fundamental policies are those that cannot be changed without the
approval of a "majority" of the Fund's outstanding voting shares. The term
"majority" is defined in the Investment Company Act to be a particular
percentage of outstanding voting shares (and this term is explained in the
Statement of Additional Information). The Fund's investment objective is
a "fundamental policy." The Fund's Board of Trustees may change non-
fundamental policies without shareholder approval, although significant
changes will be described in amendments to this Prospectus.
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies. The Fund may also use the
investment techniques and strategies described below. These techniques
involve certain risks. The Statement of Additional Information contains
more information about these practices, including limitations on their use
that may help to reduce some of the risks.
- Hedging. As described below, the Fund may purchase and sell
certain kinds of futures contracts, put and call options, and options on
futures and broadly-based municipal bond indices, or enter into interest
rate swap agreements. These are referred to as "hedging instruments."
The Fund does not use hedging instruments for speculative purposes, and
has limits on the use of them, described below. The hedging instruments
the Fund may use are described below and in greater detail in "Other
Investment Techniques and Strategies" in the Statement of Additional
Information.
The Fund may buy and sell options and futures for a number of
purposes. It may do so to try to manage its exposure to the possibility
that the prices of its portfolio securities may decline, or to establish
a position in the securities market as a temporary substitute for
purchasing individual securities. It may do so to try to manage its
exposure to changing interest rates. Some of these strategies, such as
selling futures, buying puts and writing covered calls, hedge the Fund's
portfolio against price fluctuations.
Other hedging strategies, such as buying futures and call options,
tend to increase the Fund's exposure to the securities market. Writing
covered call options may also provide income to the Fund for liquidity
purposes, defensive reasons, or to raise cash to distribute to
shareholders.
- Futures. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts that
relate to (1) interest rates (these are referred to as Interest Rate
Futures); and (2) municipal bond indices (these are referred to as
Municipal Bond Index Futures). The Fund may buy and sell Futures
contracts in an attempt to benefit from any performance of the Future
purchased relative to the performance of the Future sold. These types of
Futures are described in "Hedging" in the Statement of Additional
Information.
- Put and Call Options. The Fund may buy and sell certain kinds
of put options (puts) and call options (calls).
The Fund may buy calls only on debt securities, broadly-based
municipal bond indices, Municipal Bond Index Futures and Interest Rate
Futures, or to terminate its obligation on a call the Fund previously
wrote. The Fund may write (that is, sell) covered call options. When the
Fund writes a call, it receives cash (called a premium). The call gives
the buyer the ability to buy the investment on which the call was written
from the Fund at the call price during the period in which the call may
be exercised. If the value of the investment does not rise above the call
price, it is likely that the call will lapse without being exercised,
while the Fund keeps the cash premium (and the investment).
The Fund may purchase put options. Buying a put on an investment
gives the Fund the right to sell the investment at a set price to a seller
of a put on that investment. The Fund can buy only those puts that relate
to (1) securities that the Fund owns, (2) municipal bond indices, and (3)
Interest Rate Futures and Municipal Bond Index Futures whether or not the
Fund owns the particular Future in its portfolio. The Fund may not sell
a put other than a put that it previously purchased.
The Fund may buy and sell puts and calls only if certain conditions
are met: (1) after the Fund writes a call, not more than 25% of the
Fund's total assets may be subject to calls; (2) calls the Fund buys or
sells must be listed on a domestic securities or commodities exchange or
quoted on the Automated Quotation System of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASDAQ), or traded in the over-the-counter; (3)
each call the Fund writes must be "covered" while it is outstanding: that
means the Fund must own the investment on which the call was written or
it must own other securities that are acceptable for the escrow
arrangements required for calls; (4) the Fund may write calls on Futures
contracts it owns, but these calls must be covered by securities or other
liquid assets the Fund owns and segregates to enable it to satisfy its
obligations if the call is exercised; and (5) a call or put option may not
be purchased if the value of all of the Fund's put and call options would
exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets.
- Interest Rate Swaps. In an interest rate swap, the Fund and
another party exchange their right to receive or their obligation to pay
interest on a security. For example, they may swap a right to receive
floating rate payments for fixed rate payments. The Fund enters into
swaps only on securities it owns. The Fund may not enter into swaps with
respect to more than 25% of its total assets. Also, the Fund will
segregate liquid assets (such as cash or U.S. Government securities) to
cover any amounts it could owe under swaps that exceed the amounts it is
entitled to receive, and it will adjust that amount daily, as needed.
Income from interest rate swaps may be taxable.
- Hedging instruments can be volatile investments and may involve
special risks. The use of hedging instruments requires special skills and
knowledge of investment techniques that are different from what is
required for normal portfolio management. If the Manager uses a hedging
instrument at the wrong time or judges market conditions incorrectly,
hedging strategies may reduce the Fund's return. The Fund could also
experience losses if the prices of its futures and options positions were
not correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out a
position because of an illiquid market for the future or option. Such
losses might cause previously distributed short-term capital gains to be
re-characterized as a non-taxable return of capital to shareholders.
Options trading involves the payment of premiums and has special tax
effects on the Fund. There are also special risks in particular hedging
strategies. If a covered call written by the Fund is exercised on an
investment that has increased in value, the Fund will be required to sell
the investment at the call price and will not be able to realize any
profit if the investment has increased in value above the call price.
Interest rate swaps are subject to credit risks (if the other party fails
to meet its obligations) and also to interest rate risks. The Fund could
be obligated to pay more under its swap agreements than it receives under
them, as a result of interest rate changes. These risks are described in
greater detail in the Statement of Additional Information.
- "When-Issued" and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may
purchase Municipal Securities on a "when-issued" basis, and may purchase
or sell such securities on a "delayed delivery" basis. These terms refer
to securities that have been created and for which a market exists, but
which are not available for immediate delivery. The Fund does not intend
to make such purchases for speculative purposes. During the period
between the purchase and settlement, no payment is made for the security
and no interest accrues to the buyer from the investment. There may be
a risk of loss if the value of the security declines prior to the
settlement date.
- Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase
agreements. In a repurchase transaction, the Fund buys a security and
simultaneously sells it to the vendor for delivery at a future date.
There is no limit on the amount of the Fund's net assets that may be
subject to repurchase agreements of seven days or less. Repurchase
agreements must be fully collateralized. However, if the vendor of the
securities under a repurchase agreement fails to pay the resale price on
the delivery date, the Fund may incur costs in disposing of the collateral
and may experience losses if there is any delay in its ability to do so.
The Fund will not enter into a repurchase agreement which causes more than
10% of its net assets to be subject to repurchase agreements having a
maturity beyond seven days.
- Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Under the policies and
procedures established by the Fund's Board of Trustees, the Manager
determines the liquidity of the Fund's investments. Investments may be
illiquid because of the absence of an active trading market, making it
difficult to value them or dispose of them promptly at an acceptable
price. A restricted security is one that has a contractual restriction
on its resale or which cannot be publicly sold until it is registered
under the Securities Act of 1933. The Fund will not invest more than 10%
of its net assets in illiquid or restricted securities (that limit may
increase to 15%). The Fund's percentage limitation on these investments
does not apply to certain restricted securities that are eligible for
resale to qualified institutional buyers.
- Loans of Portfolio Securities. To raise cash for liquidity
purposes, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers
and other financial institutions. The Fund must receive collateral for
a loan. These loans are limited to not more than 25% of the value of the
Fund's total assets and are subject to other conditions described in the
Statement of Additional Information. There are some risks in connection
with securities lending. The Fund might experience a delay in receiving
additional collateral to secure a loan, or a delay in recovery of the
loaned securities. The Fund presently does not intend to engage in loans
of securities that will exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets
in the coming year.
- Non-diversification. The Fund is classified as a "non-diversified"
investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 so that the
proportion of the Fund's assets that may be invested in the securities of
a single issuer is not limited by the Investment Company Act. An
investment in the Fund therefore will entail greater risk than an
investment in a diversified investment company because a higher percentage
of investments among fewer issuers may result in greater fluctuation in
the total market value of the Fund's portfolio, and economic, political
or regulatory developments may have a greater impact on the value of the
Fund's portfolio than would be the case if the portfolio were diversified
among more issuers. However, the Fund intends to conduct its operations
so as to qualify as a "regulated investment company" for purposes of the
Internal Revenue Code, which will relieve the Fund from liability for
Federal income tax to the extent that more than 90% of its earnings are
distributed to shareholders. Among the requirements for such
qualification are that: (1) not more than 25% of the market value of the
Fund's total assets will be invested in the securities of a single issuer,
and (2) with respect to 50% of the market value of its total assets, not
more than 5% of the market value of its total assets may be invested in
the securities of a single issuer and the Fund must not own more than 10%
of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer.
Other Investment Restrictions. The Fund has other investment restrictions
that are fundamental policies. Under these fundamental policies, the Fund
cannot do any of the following:
-- invest in securities or any other investment other than Municipal
Securities, the taxable securities and Hedging Instruments described in
"Investment Objective and Policies" above;
-- make loans, except through the purchase of portfolio securities
subject to repurchase agreements or through loans of portfolio securities
as described under "Loans of Portfolio Securities";
-- borrow money in excess of 10% of the value of its total assets,
or make any additional investments whenever borrowings exceed 5% of the
Fund's assets; it may borrow only from banks as a temporary measure for
extraordinary or emergency purposes (not for the purpose of leveraging its
investments);
-- pledge, mortgage or otherwise encumber, transfer or assign any of
its assets to secure a debt; collateral arrangements for premium and
margin payments in connection with Hedging Instruments are not deemed to
be a pledge of assets;
-- concentrate investments to the extent of more than 25% of its
total assets in any industry (see "Diversification" in the Statement of
Additional Information); however, there is no limitation as to investment
in Municipal Securities, U.S. Government obligations or California
Municipal Securities; or
-- buy or sell futures contracts other than Interest Rate Futures or
Municipal Bond Index Futures.
All of the percentage restrictions described above and elsewhere in
this Prospectus, other than those that apply to borrowing, apply only at
the time the Fund purchases a security, and the Fund need not dispose of
a security merely because the Fund's assets have changed or the security
has increased in value relative to the size of the Fund. There are other
fundamental policies discussed in the Statement of Additional Information.
How the Fund is Managed
Organization and History. The Fund is an open-end, non-diversified
management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust
in July, 1988.
The Fund is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for
protecting the interests of shareholders under Massachusetts law. The
Trustees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund's
activities, review its performance, and review the actions of the Manager.
"Trustees and Officers of the Fund" in the Statement of Additional
Information names the Trustees and provides more information about them
and the officers of the Fund. Although the Fund is not required by law
to hold annual meetings, it may hold shareholder meetings from time to
time on important matters, and shareholders have the right to call a
meeting to remove a Trustee or to take other action described in the
Fund's Declaration of Trust.
The Board of Trustees has the power, without shareholder approval,
to divide unissued shares of this Fund into two or more classes. The
Board has done so, and the Fund currently has three classes of shares,
Class A, Class B and Class C. All three classes invest in the same
investment portfolio. Each class has its own dividends and distributions,
and pays certain expenses which may be different for the different
classes. Each class may have a different net asset value. Each share has
one vote at shareholder meetings, with fractional shares voting
proportionally. Only shares of a particular class vote together on
matters that affect that class alone. Shares are freely transferrable.
The Manager and Its Affiliates. The Fund is managed by the Manager,
Oppenheimer Management Corporation, which is responsible for selecting the
Fund's investments and handles its day-to-day business. The Manager
carries out its duties, subject to the policies established by the Board
of Trustees, under an Investment Advisory Agreement which states the
Manager's responsibilities. The Agreement sets forth the fees paid by the
Fund to the Manager, and describes the expenses that the Fund is
responsible to pay to conduct its business.
The Manager has operated as an investment adviser since 1959. The
Manager (including a subsidiary) currently manages investment companies,
including other OppenheimerFunds, with assets of more than $35 billion as
of June 30, 1995, and with more than 2.6 million shareholder accounts.
The Manager is owned by Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., a holding company
that is owned in part by senior officers of the Manager and controlled by
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.
- Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio Manager of the Fund is Robert E.
Patterson. He is a Senior Vice President of the Manager. He has been the
person principally responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's
portfolio since November, 1988. During the past five years, Mr. Patterson
has also served as an officer and portfolio manager for other
OppenheimerFunds.
- Fees and Expenses. Under the investment advisory agreement, the
Fund pays the Manager the following annual fees, which decline on
additional assets as the Fund grows: 0.60% of the first $200 million of
aggregate net assets, 0.55% of the next $100 million, 0.50% of the next
$200 million, 0.45% of the next $250 million, 0.40% of the next $250
million, and 0.35% of net assets over $1 billion. The Fund's management
fee for its last fiscal year was 0.59% of average annual net assets for
Class A shares and 0.59% for Class B shares.
The Fund pays expenses related to its daily operations, such as
custodian fees, Trustees' fees, transfer agency fees, legal fees and
auditing costs. Those expenses are paid out of the Fund's assets and are
not paid directly by shareholders. However, those expenses reduce the net
asset value of shares, and therefore are indirectly borne by shareholders
through their investment. More information about the Investment Advisory
Agreement and the other expenses paid by the Fund is contained in the
Statement of Additional Information.
There is also information about the Fund's brokerage policies and
practices in "Brokerage Policies of the Fund" in the Statement of
Additional Information. That section discusses how brokers and dealers
are selected for the Fund's portfolio transactions. Because the Fund
purchases most of its portfolio securities directly from the sellers and
not through brokers, it therefore incurs relatively little expense for
brokerage. From time to time, however, it may use brokers when buying
portfolio securities. When deciding which brokers to use, the Manager is
permitted by the Investment Advisory Agreement to consider whether brokers
have sold shares of the Fund or any other funds for which the Manager
serves as investment adviser.
- The Distributor. The Fund's shares are sold through dealers or
brokers that have a sales agreement with Oppenheimer Funds Distributor,
Inc., a subsidiary of the Manager that acts as the Fund's Distributor. The
Distributor also distributes the shares of other mutual funds managed by
the Manager (the "OppenheimerFunds") and is sub-distributor for funds
managed by a subsidiary of the Manager.
- The Transfer Agent. The Fund's transfer agent is Oppenheimer
Shareholder Services, a division of the Manager, which acts as the
shareholder servicing agent for the Fund and the other OppenheimerFunds
on an "at-cost" basis. Shareholders should direct inquiries about their
accounts to the Transfer Agent at the address and toll-free number shown
below in this Prospectus and on the back cover.
Performance of the Fund
Explanation of Performance Terminology. The Fund uses the terms "total
return," "average annual total return," "standardized yield," "dividend
yield," "yield" and "tax-equivalent yield" to illustrate its performance.
The performance of each class of shares is shown separately, because the
performance of each class of shares will usually be different, as a result
of the different kinds of expenses each class bears. These returns and
yields measure the performance of a hypothetical account in the Fund over
various periods, and do not show the performance of each shareholder's
account (which will vary if dividends are received in cash, or shares are
sold or purchased). The Fund's performance may help you see how well your
Fund has done over time and to compare it to other funds or to a market
index.
It is important to understand that the Fund's yields and total
returns represent past performance and should not be considered to be
predictions of future returns or performance. This performance data is
described below, but more detailed information about how total returns and
yields are calculated is contained in the Statement of Additional
Information, which also contains information about indices and other ways
to measure and compare the Fund's performance. The Fund's investment
performance will vary over time, depending on market conditions, the
composition of the portfolio, expenses and which class of shares you
purchase.
- Total Returns. There are different types of "total returns" used
to measure the Fund's performance. Total return is the change in value
of a hypothetical investment in the Fund over a given period, assuming
that all dividends and capital gains distributions are reinvested in
additional shares. The cumulative total return measures the change in
value over the entire period (for example, ten years). An average annual
total return shows the average rate of return for each year in a period
that would produce the cumulative total return over the entire period.
However, average annual total returns do not show the Fund's actual year-
by-year performance.
When total returns are quoted for Class A shares, normally they
include the payment of the current maximum initial sales charge. When
total returns are shown for Class B shares, they reflect the effect of the
contingent deferred sales charge that applies to the period for which
total return is shown. When total returns are shown for Class C shares
for a one-year period, they reflect the effect of the contingent deferred
sales charge. Total returns may also be quoted "at net asset value,"
without including the effect of the sales charge, and those returns would
be reduced if sales charges were deducted.
- Yield. Each class of shares calculates its yield by dividing the
annualized net investment income per share from the portfolio during a
30-day period by the maximum offering price on the last day of the period.
The yield of each Class will differ because of the different expenses of
each Class of shares. The yield data represents a hypothetical investment
return on the portfolio, and does not measure an investment return based
on dividends actually paid to shareholders. To show that return, a
dividend yield may be calculated. Dividend yield is calculated by
dividing the dividends of a Class derived from net investment income
during a stated period by the maximum offering price on the last day of
the period. Yields and dividend yields for Class A shares reflect the
deduction of the maximum initial sales charge, but may also be shown based
on the Fund's net asset value per share. Yields for Class B and Class C
shares do not reflect the deduction of the contingent deferred sales
charge. The tax-equivalent yield is the equivalent yield that would be
earned in the absence of taxes. It is calculated by dividing that portion
of the yield that is tax-exempt by a factor equal to one minus the
applicable tax rate.
How Has the Fund Performed? Below is a discussion by the Manager of the
Fund's performance during its last fiscal year ended December 31, 1994,
followed by a graphical comparison of the Fund's performance to an
appropriate broad-based market index.
- Management's Discussion of Performance. During the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1994, the performance of the California municipal bond
market was affected by the broad decline in bond prices that followed
increases in short-term interest rates by the Federal Reserve Board. As
a result, the average maturity of the Fund's portfolio was reduced, in an
effort to decrease the portfolio's sensitivity to changing short-term
interest rates. The Fund also acquired insured and pre-refunded issues,
and California municipal bonds in the housing sector as well as
transportation issues.
- Comparing the Fund's Performance to the Market. The chart below
shows the performance of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in each Class
of shares of the Fund from the inception of the Class held through
December 31, 1994. In both cases, all dividends and capital gains
distributions reinvested in additional shares. The graph reflects the
deduction of the 4.75% maximum initial sales charge on Class A shares and
the maximum 5% contingent deferred sales charge for Class B shares. Class
C shares were not publicly offered during the fiscal year ended December
31, 1994. Accordingly, no performance information is presented on Class
C shares in the graphs below.
Because the Fund invests in a variety of Municipal Securities, the
Fund's performance is compared to the performance of the Lehman Brothers
Municipal Bond Index. The Lehman Brothers Municipal Bond Index is an
unmanaged index of a broad range of investment grade municipal bonds,
widely regarded as a measure of the performance of the general municipal
bond market.
Index performance reflects reinvestment of income but does not
consider the effect of capital gains or transaction costs, and none of the
data below shows the effect of taxes. Also, the Fund's performance data
reflects the effect of Fund business and operating expenses. While index
comparisons may be useful to provide a benchmark for the Fund's
performance, it must be noted that the Fund's investments are not limited
to the securities in any one index. Moreover, the index performance data
does not reflect any assessment of the risk of the investments included
in the index.
Comparison of Change
In Value of $10,000
Hypothetical Investments in:
Oppenheimer California
Tax-Exempt Fund (Class A) and Lehman
Brothers Municipal Bond Index
(Graph with Class A shares of the Fund)
Avg Annual Total Return of the Fund at 12/31/941
A Shares 1 Year 5 Year Life
-12.83% 4.75% 5.95%
Comparison of Change
In Value of $10,000
Hypothetical Investments in:
Oppenheimer California
Tax-Exempt Fund (Class B) and Lehman
Brothers Municipal Bond Index
(Graph with Class B shares of the Fund)
Average Annual Total Return of the Fund at 12/31/942
B Shares 1 Year Life
-13.69% -4.19%
1. The inception date of the Fund (Class A shares) was 11/3/88. The
average annual total returns and the ending account value in the graphs
reflect reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and
are shown net of the applicable 4.75% maximum sales charge.
2. Class B shares of the Fund were first publicly offered on 5/1/93. The
average annual total returns reflect reinvestment of all dividends and
capital gains distributions and are shown net of the applicable 5% and 4%
contingent deferred sales charges respectively for the 1-year period and
life-of-the-class. The ending account value in the graph is net of the
applicable 4% sales charge.
Past Performance is not predictive of future performance.
Graphs are not drawn to same scale.
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
How to Buy Shares
Classes of Shares. The Fund offers investors three different classes of
shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same
portfolio of securities but are subject to different expenses and will
likely have different share prices.
- Class A Shares. If you buy Class A shares, you pay an initial
sales charge investments up to $1 million. If you purchase Class A shares
as part of an investment of at least $1 million in shares of one or more
OppenheimerFunds, you will not pay an initial sales charge, but if you
sell any of those shares within 18 months of buying them, you may pay a
contingent deferred sales charge. The amount of that sales charge will
vary depending on the amount you invested. Sales charges are described in
"Buying Class A Shares," below.
- Class B Shares. If you buy Class B shares, you pay no sales charge
at the time of purchase, but if you sell your shares within six years, you
will normally pay a contingent deferred sales charge that varies depending
on how long you own your shares. It is described in "Buying Class B
Shares" below.
- Class C Shares. If you buy Class C shares, you pay no sales charge
at the time of purchase, but if you sell your shares within 12 months of
buying them, you will normally pay a contingent deferred sales charge of
1%. It is described in "Buying Class C Shares" below.
Which Class of Shares Should You Choose? Once you decide that the Fund
is an appropriate investment for you, the decision as to which class of
shares is better suited to your needs depends on a number of factors which
you should discuss with your financial advisor. The Fund's operating
costs that apply to a class of shares and the effect of the different
types of sales charges on your investment will vary your investment
results over time. The most important factors are how much you plan to
invest, how long you plan to hold your investment, and whether you
anticipate exchanging your shares for shares of other OppenheimerFunds
(not all of which currently offer Class B and Class C shares). If your
goals and objectives change over time and you plan to purchase additional
shares, you should re-evaluate those factors to see if you should consider
another class of shares.
In the following discussion, to help provide you and your financial
advisor with a framework in which to choose a class, we have made some
assumptions using a hypothetical investment in the Fund. We used the
sales charge rates that apply to each class of shares, considering the
effect of the annual asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C
expenses (which, like all expenses, will affect your investment return).
For the sake of comparison, we have assumed that there is a 10% rate of
appreciation in the investment each year. Of course, the actual
performance of your investment cannot be predicted and will vary, based
on the Fund's actual investment returns and the operating expenses borne
by each class of shares, and which class you invest in.
The factors discussed below are not intended to be investment advice
or recommendations, because each investor's financial considerations are
different. The discussion below of the factors to consider in purchasing
a particular class of shares assumes that you will purchase only one class
of shares, and not a combination of shares of different classes.
- How Long Do You Expect To Hold Your Investment? The Fund is
designed for long-term investment. While future financial needs cannot
be predicted with certainty, knowing how long you expect to hold your
investment will assist you in selecting the appropriate class of shares.
The effect of the sales charge over time, using our assumptions, will
generally depend on the amount invested. Because of the effect of class-
based expenses, your choice will also depend on how much you invest.
- Investing for the Short Term. If you have a short-term
investment horizon (that is, you plan to hold your shares for not more
than six years), you should probably consider purchasing Class A or Class
C shares rather than Class B shares, because of the effect of the Class
B contingent deferred sales charge if you redeem in less than 7 years, as
well as the effect of the Class B asset-based sales charge on the
investment return for that class in the short-term. Class C shares might
be the appropriate choice (especially for investments of less than
$100,000), because there is no initial sales charge on Class C shares, and
the contingent deferred sales charge does not apply to amounts you sell
after holding them one year.
However, if you plan to invest more than $100,000 for the shorter
term, then the more you invest and the more your investment horizon
increases toward six years, Class C shares might not be as advantageous
as Class A shares. That is because the annual asset-based sales charge
on Class C shares will have a greater impact on your account over the
longer term than the reduced front-end sales charge available for larger
purchases of Class A shares. For example, Class A might be more
advantageous than Class C (as well as Class B) for investments of more
than $100,000 expected to be held for 5 or 6 years (or more). For
investments over $250,000 expected to be held 4 to 6 years (or more),
Class A shares may become more advantageous than Class C (and B). If
investing $500,000 or more, Class A may be more advantageous as your
investment horizon approaches 3 years or more.
And for most investors who invest $1 million or more, in most cases
Class A shares will be the most advantageous choice, no matter how long
you intend to hold your shares. For that reason, the Distributor normally
will not accept purchase orders of $500,000 or $1 million or more of Class
B or C shares respectively from a single investor. Of course, these
examples are based on approximations of the effect of current sales
charges and expenses on a hypothetical investment over time, using the
assumed annual performance return stated above, and therefore should not
be relied on as rigid guidelines.
- Investing for the Longer Term. If you are investing for the
longer-term, for example, for retirement, and do not expect to need access
to your money for seven years or more, Class B shares may be an
appropriate consideration, if you plan to invest less than $100,000. If
you plan to invest more than $100,000 over the long term, Class A shares
will likely be more advantageous than Class B shares or C shares, as
discussed above, because of the effect of the expected lower expenses for
Class A shares and the reduced initial sales charges available for larger
investments in Class A shares under the Fund's Right of Accumulation.
- Are There Differences In Account Features That Matter To You?
Because some account features may not be available to Class B and Class
C shareholders, such as checkwriting, or other features (such as Automatic
Withdrawal Plans) might not be advisable (because of the effect of
contingent deferred sales charge for Class B and Class C shareholders) you
should carefully review how you plan to use your investment account before
deciding which class of shares to buy. Additionally, dividends payable
to Class B and Class C shareholders will be reduced by the additional
expenses borne by those classes that are not borne by Class A, such as the
Class B and Class C asset-based sales charges described below and in the
Statement of Additional Information. Also, all OppenheimerFunds currently
offer Class B and Class C shares, limiting exchangeability from the Fund.
For example, share certificates are not available for Class B and Class
C shares, and if you are considering using your shares as collateral for
a loan, that may be a factor to consider.
- How Does It Affect Payments To My Broker? A salesperson, such as
a broker, or any other person who is entitled to receive compensation for
selling Fund shares may receive different compensation for selling one
class of shares than for selling another class. It is important that
investors understand that the purpose of the Class B or Class C contingent
deferred sales charge and asset-based sales charge is the same as the
purpose of the front-end sales charge on sales of Class A shares, that is,
to compensate the Distributor for commissions it pays to dealers and
financial institutions for selling shares.
How Much Must You Invest? You can open a Fund account with a minimum
initial investment of $1,000 and make additional investments at any time
with as little as $25. There are reduced minimum investments under special
investment plans.
With Asset Builder Plans, Automatic Exchange Plans and military
allotment plans, you can make initial and subsequent investments for as
little as $25; and subsequent purchases of at least $25 can be made by
telephone through AccountLink.
There is no minimum investment requirement if you are buying shares
by reinvesting dividends from the Fund or other OppenheimerFunds (a list
of them appears in the Statement of Additional Information, or you can ask
your dealer or call the Transfer Agent), or by reinvesting distributions
from unit investment trusts that have made arrangements with the
Distributor.
How Are Shares Purchased? You can buy shares several ways -- through any
dealer, broker or financial institution that has a sales agreement with
the Distributor, or directly through the Distributor, or automatically
from your bank account through an Asset Builder Plan under the
OppenheimerFunds AccountLink service. When you buy shares, be sure to
specify Class A, Class B or Class C shares. If you do not choose, your
investment will be made in Class A shares.
- Buying Shares Through Your Dealer. Your dealer will place your
order with the Distributor on your behalf.
- Buying Shares Through the Distributor. Complete an
OppenheimerFunds New Account Application and return it with a check
payable to "Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc." Mail it to P.O. Box 5270,
Denver, Colorado 80217. If you don't list a dealer on the application,
the Distributor will act as your agent in buying the shares. However, it
is recommended that you discuss your investment first with a financial
advisor, to be sure that it is appropriate for you.
- Buying Shares Through OppenheimerFunds AccountLink. You can use
AccountLink to link your Fund account with an account at a U.S. bank or
other financial institution that is an Automated Clearing House (ACH)
member. You can then transmit funds electronically to purchase shares,
or have the Transfer Agent send redemption proceeds or to transmit
dividends and distributions.
Shares are purchased for your account on AccountLink on the regular
business day the Distributor is instructed by you to initiate the ACH
transfer to buy shares. You can provide those instructions automatically,
under an Asset Builder Plan, described below, or by telephone instructions
using OppenheimerFunds PhoneLink, also described below. You should
request AccountLink privileges on the application or dealer settlement
instructions used to establish your account. Please refer to
"AccountLink," below for more details.
- Asset Builder Plans. You may purchase shares of the Fund (and up
to four other OppenheimerFunds) automatically each month from your account
at a bank or other financial institution under an Asset Builder Plan with
AccountLink. Details are on the Application and in the Statement of
Additional Information.
- At What Price Are Shares Sold? Shares are sold at the public
offering price based on the net asset value (and any initial sales charge
that applies) that is next determined after the Distributor receives the
purchase order in Denver, Colorado. In most cases, to enable you to
receive that day's offering price, the Distributor must receive your order
by the time of day The New York Stock Exchange closes, which is normally
4:00 P.M., New York time but may be earlier on some days (all references
to time in this Prospectus mean "New York time"). The net asset value of
each class of shares is determined as of that time on each day The New
York Stock Exchange is open (which is a "regular business day").
If you buy shares through a dealer, the dealer must receive your
order by the close of The New York Stock Exchange on a regular business
day and transmit it to the Distributor so that it is received before the
Distributor's close of business that day, which is normally 5:00 P.M. The
Distributor may reject any purchase order for the Fund's shares, in its
sole discretion.
Buying Class A Shares. Class A shares are sold at their offering price,
which is normally net asset value plus an initial sales charge. However,
in some cases, described below, purchases are not subject to an initial
sales charge, and the offering price will be the net asset value. In some
cases, reduced sales charges may be available, as described below. Out
of the amount you invest, the Fund receives the net asset value to invest
for your account. The sales charge varies depending on the amount of your
purchase. A portion of the sales charge may be retained by the
Distributor and allocated to your dealer. The current sales charge rates
and commissions paid to dealers and brokers are as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Front-End
Front-End Sales Charge as
Sales Charge as Approximate Commission as
Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of
Amount of Purchase Offering Price Amount Invested Offering Price
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Less than $50,000 4.75% 4.98% 4.00%
$50,000 or more but
less than $100,000 4.50% 4.71% 4.00%
$100,000 or more but
less than $250,000 3.50% 3.63% 3.00%
$250,000 or more but
less than $500,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.25%
$500,000 or more but
less than $1 million 2.00% 2.04% 1.80%
</TABLE>
The Distributor reserves the right to reallow the entire commission to
dealers. If that occurs, the dealer may be considered an "underwriter"
under Federal securities laws.
- Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. There is no initial
sales charge on purchases of Class A shares of any one or more
OppenheimerFunds aggregating $1 million or more shares of any of the
OppenheimerFunds that offers only one class of shares that has no class
designation are considered "Class A shares" for these purposes. The
Distributor pays dealers of record commissions on those purchases in an
amount equal to the sum of 1.0% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of
the next $2.5 million, plus 0.25% of purchases over $5 million. That
commission will be paid only on the amount of those purchases in excess
of $1 million that were not previously subject to a front-end sales charge
and dealer commission.
If you redeem any of those shares within 18 months of the end of the
calendar month of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales charge
(called the "Class A contingent deferred sales charge") may be deducted
from the redemption proceeds. That sales charge will be equal to 1.0% of
(1) the aggregate net asset value of the redeemed shares (not including
shares purchased by reinvestment of dividends or capital gain
distributions) or (2) the original cost of the shares, whichever is less.
However, the Class A contingent deferred sales charge will not exceed the
aggregate amount of the commissions the Distributor paid to your dealer
on all Class A shares of all OppenheimerFunds you purchased subject to
the Class A contingent deferred sales charge.
In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable,
the Fund will first redeem shares that are not subject to the sales
charge, including shares purchased by reinvestment of dividends and
capital gains, and then will redeem other shares in the order that you
purchased them. The Class A contingent deferred sales charge is waived
in certain cases described in "Waivers of Class A Sales Charges" below.
No Class A contingent deferred sales charge is charged on exchanges
of shares under the Fund's Exchange Privilege (described below). However,
if the shares acquired by exchange are redeemed within 18 months of the
end of the calendar month of the purchase of the exchanged shares, the
sales charge will apply.
Reduced Sales Charges for Class A Share Purchases. You may be eligible
to buy Class A shares at reduced sales charge rates in one or more of the
following ways:
- Right of Accumulation. To qualify for the lower sales charge rates
that apply to larger purchases of Class A shares, you and your spouse can
add together Class A and Class B shares you purchase for your individual
accounts, or jointly or for trust or custodial accounts or jointly, or on
behalf of your children who are minors. A fiduciary can count all shares
purchased for a trust, estate or other fiduciary account (including one
or more employee benefit plans of the same employer) that has multiple
accounts.
Additionally, you can add together current purchases of Class A and
Class B shares of the Fund and other OppenheimerFunds to reduce the sales
charge rate that applies to current purchases of Class A shares. You can
also count Class A and Class B shares of OppenheimerFunds you previously
purchased subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales charge to
reduce the sales charge rate for current purchases of Class A shares,
provided that you still hold that investment in one of the
OppenheimerFunds. The OppenheimerFunds are listed in "Reduced Sales
Charges" in the Statement of Additional Information, or a list can be
obtained from the Transfer Agent. The reduced sales charge will apply
only to current purchases and must be requested when you buy your shares.
- Letter of Intent. Under a Letter of Intent, if you purchase Class
A shares or Class A shares and Class B shares of the Fund and other
OppenheimerFunds during a 13-month period, you can reduce the sales charge
rate that applies to your purchases of Class A shares. The total amount
of your intended purchases of both Class A and Class B shares will
determine the reduced sales charge rate for the Class A shares purchased
during that period. This can include purchases made up to 90 days before
the date of the Letter. More information is contained in the Application
and in "Reduced Sales Charges" in the Statement of Additional Information.
- Waivers of Class A Sales Charges. The Class A sales charges are
not imposed in the circumstances described below. There is an explanation
of this policy in "Reduced Sales Charges" in the Statement of Additional
Information.
Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges for Certain
Purchasers. Class A shares purchased by the following investors are not
subject to any Class A sales charges:
-- the Manager or its affiliates;
-- present or former officers, directors, trustees and employees (and
their "immediate families" as defined in "Reduced Sales Charges" in the
Statement of Additional Information) of the Fund, the Manager and its
affiliates;
-- registered management investment companies, or separate accounts
of insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or the
Distributor for that purpose;
-- dealers or brokers that have a sales agreement with the
Distributor, if they purchase shares for their own accounts or for
retirement plans for their employees;
-- employees and registered representatives (and their spouses) of
dealers or brokers described above or financial institutions that have
entered into sales arrangements with such dealers or brokers (and are
identified to the Distributor) or with the Distributor; the purchaser must
certify to the Distributor at the time of purchase that the purchase is
for the purchaser's own account (or for the benefit of such employee's
spouse or minor children); or
-- dealers, brokers or registered investment advisers that have
entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically for
the use of shares of the Fund in particular investment products made
available to their clients.
Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges
in Certain Transactions. Class A shares issued or purchased in
the following transactions are not subject to Class A sales
charges:
-- shares issued in plans of reorganization, such as mergers, asset
acquisitions and exchange offers, to which the Fund is a party, or
-- shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or other
distributions reinvested from the Fund or other OppenheimerFunds (other
than the Cash Reserves Funds) or unit investment trusts for which
reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor, or
-- shares purchased and paid for with the proceeds of shares redeemed
in the prior 12 months from a mutual fund (other than a fund managed by
the Manager or any of its subsidiaries) on which an initial sales charge
or contingent deferred sales charge was paid (this waiver also applies to
shares purchased by exchange of shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund,
Inc. that were purchased and paid for in this manner); this waiver must
be requested when the purchase order is placed for your shares of the
Fund, and the Distributor may require evidence of your qualification for
this waiver.
Waivers of the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain
Redemptions. The Class A contingent deferred sales charge does not apply
to purchases of Class A shares at net asset value without sales charge as
described in the two sections above. It is also waived if shares that
would otherwise be subject to the contingent deferred sales charge are
redeemed in the following cases:
-- to make Automatic Withdrawal Plan payments that are limited
annually to no more than 12% of the original account value; or
-- involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law or
involuntary redemptions of small accounts (see "Shareholder Account Rules
and Policies," below); or
-- if, at the time a purchase order is placed for Class A shares that
would otherwise be subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales
charge, the dealer agrees to accept the dealer's portion of the commission
payable on the sale in installments of 1/18th of the commission per month
(and no further commission will be payable if the shares are redeemed
within 18 months of purchase).
- Service Plan for Class A Shares. The Fund has adopted a Service
Plan for Class A shares to reimburse the Distributor for a portion of its
costs incurred in connection with the personal service and maintenance of
accounts that hold Class A shares. Reimbursement is made quarterly at an
annual rate that may not exceed 0.25% of the average annual net assets of
Class A shares of the Fund. The Distributor uses all of those fees to
compensate dealers, brokers, banks and other financial institutions
quarterly for providing personal service and maintenance of accounts of
their customers that hold Class A shares and to reimburse itself (if the
Fund's Board of Trustees authorizes such reimbursements, which it has not
yet done) for its other expenditures under the Plan.
Services to be provided include, among others, answering customer
inquiries about the Fund, assisting in establishing and maintaining
accounts in the Fund, making the Fund's investment plans available and
providing other services at the request of the Fund or the Distributor.
Payments are made by the Distributor quarterly at an annual rate not to
exceed 0.25% of the average annual net assets of Class A shares held in
accounts of the dealer or its customers. The payments under the Plan
increase the annual expenses of Class A shares. For more details, please
refer to "Distribution and Service Plans" in the Statement of Additional
Information.
Buying Class B Shares. Class B shares are sold at net asset value per
share without an initial sales charge. However, if Class B shares are
redeemed within 6 years of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales
charge will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. That sales charge
will not apply to shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or
capital gains distributions. The charge will be assessed on the lesser of
the net asset value of the shares at the time of redemption or the
original purchase price. The contingent deferred sales charge is not
imposed on the amount of your account value represented by the increase
in net asset value over the initial purchase price (including increases
due to the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions). The
Class B contingent deferred sales charge is paid to the Distributor to
reimburse its expenses of providing distribution-related services to the
Fund in connection with the sale of Class B shares.
To determine whether the contingent deferred sales charge applies to
a redemption, the Fund redeems shares in the following order: (1) shares
acquired by reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, (2)
shares held for over 6 years, and (3) shares held the longest during the
6-year period.
The amount of the contingent deferred sales charge will depend on the
number of years since you invested and the dollar amount being redeemed,
according to the following schedule:
Years Since Beginning of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
Month in Which Purchase On Redemptions in that Year
Order Was Accepted (As % of Amount Subject to Charge)
0-1 5.0%
1-2 4.0%
2-3 3.0%
3-4 3.0%
4-5 2.0%
5-6 1.0%
6 and following None
In the table, a "year" is a 12-month period. All purchases are considered
to have been made on the first regular business day of the month in which
the purchase was made.
- Automatic Conversion of Class B Shares. 72 months after you
purchase Class B shares, those shares will automatically convert to Class
A shares. This conversion feature relieves Class B shareholders of the
asset-based sales charge that applies to Class B shares under the Class
B Distribution and Service Plan, described below. The conversion is based
on the relative net asset value of the two classes, and no sales load or
other charge is imposed. When Class B shares convert, any other Class B
shares that were acquired by the reinvestment of dividends and
distributions on the converted shares will also convert to Class A shares.
The conversion feature is subject to the continued availability of a tax
ruling described in "Alternative Sales Arrangements - Class A and Class
B Shares" in the Statement of Additional Information.
- Distribution and Service Plan for Class B Shares. The Fund has
adopted a Distribution and Service Plan for Class B shares to compensate
the Distributor for its services and costs in distributing Class B shares
and servicing accounts. Under the Plan, the Fund pays the Distributor an
annual "asset-based sales charge" of 0.75% per year on Class B shares that
are outstanding for 6 years or less. The Distributor also receives a
service fee of 0.25% per year. The Board has currently set the service
fee at 0.15% per year, which amount may be increased by the Board from
time to time up to the maximum of 0.25%. Both fees are computed on the
average annual net asset value of Class B shares, determined as of the
close of each regular business day. The asset-based sales charge allows
investors to buy Class B shares without a front-end sales charge while
allowing the Distributor to compensate dealers that sell Class B shares.
The Distributor uses the service fee to compensate dealers for
providing personal services for accounts that hold Class B shares. Those
services are similar to those provided under the Class A Service Plan,
described above. The asset-based sales charge and service fees increase
Class B expenses by up to 1.00% of average net assets per year.
The Distributor pays the service fee to dealers in advance for the
first year after Class B shares have been sold by the dealer. After the
shares have been held for a year, the Distributor pays the service fee on
a quarterly basis. The Distributor pays sales commissions of 3.75% of the
purchase price to dealers from its own resources at the time of sale. The
Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge (and the first year's
service fee) to recoup the sales commissions it pays, the advances of
service fee payments it makes, and its financing costs.
The Fund pays the asset-based sales charge to the Distributor for its
services rendered in connection with the distribution of Class B shares.
Those payments, retained by the Distributor, are at a fixed rate which is
not related to the Distributor's expenses. The services rendered by the
Distributor including paying and financing the payment of sales
commissions, service fees, and other costs of distributing and selling
Class B shares. If the Plan is terminated by the Fund, the Board of
Trustees may allow the Fund to continue payments of the asset-based sales
charge to the Distributor for distributing Class B shares before the Plan
was terminated.
Buying Class C Shares. Class C shares are sold at net asset value per
share without an initial sales charge. However, if the Class C shares are
redeemed within 12 months of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales
charge of 1.0% will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. That sales
charge will not apply to shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends
or capital gains distributions. The charge will be assessed on the lesser
of the net asset value of the shares at the time of redemption or the
original purchase price. The contingent deferred sales charge is not
imposed on the amount of your account value represented by the increase
in net asset value over the initial purchase price (including increases
due to the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions).
The Class C contingent deferred sales charge is paid to the Distributor
to reimburse its expenses of providing distribution-related services to
the Fund in connection with the sales of Class C shares.
To determine whether the contingent deferred sales charge applies to
a redemption, the Fund redeems shares in the following order: (1) shares
acquired by reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, (2)
shares held for over 12 months, and (3) shares held the longest during the
12-month period.
- Distribution and Service Plan for Class C Shares. The Fund has
adopted a Distribution and Service Plan for Class C shares to compensate
the Distributor for distributing Class C shares and servicing accounts.
Under the Plan, the Fund pays the Distributor an annual "asset-based sales
charge" of 0.75% per year on Class C shares. The Distributor also
receives a service fee of 0.25% per year. The Board has currently set the
service fee at 0.15% per year which amount may be increased by the Board
from time to time up to the maximum of 0.25%. Both fees are computed on
the average annual net assets of Class C shares, determined as of the
close of each regular business day. The asset-based sales charge allows
investors to buy Class C shares without a front-end sales charge while
allowing the Distributor to compensate dealers that sell Class C shares.
The Distributor uses the service fee to compensate dealers for
providing personal services for accounts that hold Class C shares. Those
services are similar to those provided under the Class A Service Plan,
described above. The asset-based sales charge and service fees increase
Class C expenses by 1.00% of average net assets per year.
The Distributor pays the service fee to dealers in advance for the
first year after Class C shares have been sold by the dealer. After the
shares have been held for a year, the Distributor pays the service fee on
a quarterly basis. The Distributor pays sales commissions of 0.75% of the
purchase price to dealers from its own resources at the time of sale. The
total up-front commission paid by the Distributor to the dealer at the
time of sale of Class C shares is up to 1.00% of the purchase price. The
Distributor plans to pay the asset-based sales charge as an ongoing
commission to the dealer on Class C shares that have been outstanding for
a year or more.
The Fund pays the asset-based sales charge to the Distributor for its
services rendered in connection with the distribution of Class C shares.
Those payments are at a fixed rate which is not related to the
Distributor's expenses. The services rendered by the Distributor include
paying and financing the payment of sales commissions, service fees, and
other costs of distributing and selling Class C shares, including
compensating personnel of the Distributor who support distribution of
Class C shares. If the Plan is terminated by the Fund, the Board of
Directors may allow the Fund to continue payments of the asset-based sales
charge to the Distributor for distributing Class C shares before the Plan
was terminated.
- Waivers of Class B and Class C Sales Charges. The Class B and
Class C contingent deferred sales charges will not be applied to shares
purchased in certain types of transactions nor will it apply to shares
redeemed in certain circumstances as described below. The reasons for
this policy are in "Reduced Sales Charges" in the Statement of Additional
Information.
Waivers for Redemptions in Certain Cases. The Class B and Class C
contingent deferred sales charges will be waived for redemption of shares
following the death or disability of the last surviving shareholder (the
death or disability must have occurred after the account was established,
and for disability you must provide evidence of a determination of
disability by the Social Security Administration).
Waivers for Shares Sold or Issued in Certain Transactions. The
contingent deferred sales charge is also waived on Class B and Class C
shares sold or issued in the following cases:
- shares sold to the Manager or its affiliates;
- shares sold to registered management investment companies or
separate accounts of insurance companies having an agreement with the
Manager or the Distributor for that purpose; or
- shares issued in plans or reorganization to which the Fund is a
party.
Special Investor Services
AccountLink. OppenheimerFunds AccountLink links your Fund account to your
account at your bank or other financial institution to enable you to send
money electronically between those accounts to perform a number of types
of account transactions. These include purchases of shares by telephone
(either through a service representative or by PhoneLink, described
below), automatic investments under Asset Builder Plans, and sending
dividends and distributions or Automatic Withdrawal Plan payments directly
to your bank account. Please refer to the Application for details or call
the Transfer Agent for more information.
AccountLink privileges must be requested on the Application you use
to buy shares, or on your dealer's settlement instructions if you buy your
shares through your dealer. After your account is established, you can
request AccountLink privileges by sending signature-guaranteed
instructions to the Transfer Agent. AccountLink privileges will apply to
each shareholder listed in the registration on your account as well as to
your dealer representative of record unless and until the Transfer Agent
receives written instructions terminating or changing those privileges.
After you establish AccountLink for your account, any change of bank
account information must be made by signature-guaranteed instructions to
the Transfer Agent signed by all shareholders who own the account.
- Using AccountLink to Buy Shares. Purchases may be made by
telephone only after your account has been established. To purchase shares
in amounts up to $250,000 through a telephone representative, call the
Distributor at 1-800-852-8457. The purchase payment will be debited from
your bank account.
- PhoneLink. PhoneLink is the OppenheimerFunds automated telephone
system that enables shareholders to perform a number of account
transactions automatically using a touch-tone phone. PhoneLink may be
used on already-established Fund accounts after you obtain a Personal
Identification Number (PIN), by calling the special PhoneLink number:
1-800-533-3310.
- Purchasing Shares. You may purchase shares in amounts up to
$100,000 by phone, by calling 1-800-533-3310. You must have established
AccountLink privileges to link your bank account with the Fund, to pay for
these purchases.
- Exchanging Shares. With the OppenheimerFunds Exchange Privilege,
described below, you can exchange shares automatically by phone from your
Fund account to another OppenheimerFunds account you have already
established by calling the special PhoneLink number. Please refer to "How
to Exchange Shares," below, for details.
- Selling Shares. You can redeem shares by telephone automatically
by calling the PhoneLink number and the Fund will send the proceeds
directly to your AccountLink bank account. Please refer to "How to Sell
Shares," below for details.
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans. The Fund has several plans that
enable you to sell shares automatically or exchange them to another
OppenheimerFunds account on a regular basis:
- Automatic Withdrawal Plans. If your Fund account is worth $5,000
or more, you can establish an Automatic Withdrawal Plan to receive
payments of at least $50 on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual
basis. The checks may be sent to you or sent automatically to your bank
account on AccountLink. You may even set up certain types of withdrawals
of up to $1,500 per month by telephone. You should consult the
Application and Statement of Additional Information for more details.
- Automatic Exchange Plans. You can authorize the Transfer Agent to
automatically exchange an amount you establish in advance for shares of
up to five other OppenheimerFunds on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or
annual basis under an Automatic Exchange Plan. The minimum purchase for
each OppenheimerFunds account is $25. These exchanges are subject to the
terms of the Exchange Privilege, described below.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem some or all of your Class A or B
shares of the Fund, you have up to 6 months to reinvest all or part of the
redemption proceeds in Class A shares of the Fund or other
OppenheimerFunds without paying a sales charge. This privilege applies to
Class A shares that you purchased subject to an initial sales charge and
to Class A or B shares on which you paid a contingent deferred sales
charge when you redeemed them. You must be sure to ask the Distributor for
this privilege when you send your payment. Please consult the Statement
of Additional Information for more details.
How to Sell Shares
You can arrange to take money out of your account on any regular
business day by selling (redeeming) some or all of your shares. Your
shares will be sold at the next net asset value calculated after your
order is received and accepted by the Transfer Agent. The Fund offers you
a number of ways to sell your shares: in writing, by using the Fund's
checkwriting privilege or by telephone. You can also set up Automatic
Withdrawal Plans to redeem shares on a regular basis, as described above.
If you have questions about any of these procedures, and especially if you
are redeeming shares in a special situation, such as due to the death of
the owner, please call the Transfer Agent first, at 1-800-525-7048, for
assistance.
- Certain Requests Require a Signature Guarantee. To protect you and
the Fund from fraud, certain redemption requests must be in writing and
must include a signature guarantee in the following situations (there may
be other situations also requiring a signature guarantee):
- You wish to redeem more than $50,000 worth of shares and receive
a check
- The redemption check is not payable to all shareholders listed on
the account statement
- The redemption check is not sent to the address of record on your
statement
- Shares are being transferred to a Fund account with a different
owner or name
- Shares are redeemed by someone other than the owners (such as an
Executor)
- Where Can I Have My Signature Guaranteed? The Transfer Agent will
accept a guarantee of your signature by a number of financial
institutions, including: a U.S. bank, trust company, credit union or
savings association, or by a foreign bank that has a U.S. correspondent
bank, or by a U.S. registered dealer or broker in securities, municipal
securities or government securities, or by a U.S. national securities
exchange, a registered securities association or a clearing agency. If
you are signing on behalf of a corporation, partnership or other business
or as a fiduciary, you must also include your title in the signature.
Selling Shares by Mail. Write a "letter of instructions" that includes:
- Your name
- The Fund's name
- Your Fund account number (from your account statement)
- The dollar amount or number of shares to be redeemed
- Any special payment instructions
- Any share certificates for the shares you are selling,
- The signatures of all registered owners exactly as the account is
registered, and
- Any special requirements or documents requested by the Transfer
Agent to assure proper authorization of the person asking to sell
shares.
Use the following address for requests by mail:
Oppenheimer Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado 80217
Send courier or Express Mail requests to:
Oppenheimer Shareholder Services
10200 E. Girard Avenue, Building D
Denver, Colorado 80231
Selling Shares by Telephone. You and your dealer representative of record
may also sell your shares by telephone. To receive the redemption price
on a regular business day, your call must be received by the Transfer
Agent by the close of The New York Stock Exchange that day, which is
normally 4:00 P.M., but which may be earlier on some days. You may not
redeem shares held under a share certificate by telephone.
- To redeem shares through a service representative, call
1-800-852-8457
- To redeem shares automatically on PhoneLink, call 1-800-533-3310
Whichever method you use, you may have a check sent to the address
on the account statement, or, if you have linked your Fund account to your
bank account on AccountLink, you may have the proceeds wired to that bank
account.
- Telephone Redemptions Paid by Check. Up to $50,000 may be redeemed
by telephone, once in any 7-day period. The check must be payable to all
owners of record of the shares and must be sent to the address on the
account statement. This service is not available within 30 days of
changing the address on an account.
- Telephone Redemptions Through AccountLink. There are no dollar
limits on telephone redemption proceeds sent to a bank account designated
when you establish AccountLink. Normally the ACH wire to your bank is
initiated on the business day after the redemption. You do not receive
dividends on the proceeds of the shares you redeemed while they are
waiting to be wired.
Checkwriting. To be able to write checks against your Fund account, you
may request that privilege on your account Application or you can contact
the Transfer Agent for signature cards, which must be signed (with a
signature guarantee) by all owners of the account and returned to the
Transfer Agent so that checks can be sent to you to use. Shareholders with
joint accounts can elect in writing to have checks paid over the signature
of one owner. If you previously signed a signature card to establish
Checkwriting in another Oppenheimer fund, simply call 1-800-525-7048 to
request Checkwriting for an account in this Fund with the same
registration as the previous Checkwriting account.
- Checks can be written to the order of whomever you wish, but may
not be cashed at the Fund's bank or custodian.
- Checkwriting privileges are not available for accounts holding
Class B shares or Class C shares, or Class A shares that are subject to
a contingent deferred sales charge.
- Checks must be written for at least $100.
- Checks cannot be paid if they are written for more than your
account value.
Remember: your shares fluctuate in value and you should not write a
check close to the total account value.
- You may not write a check that would require the Fund to redeem
shares that were purchased by check or Asset Builder Plan payments within
the prior 10 days.
- Don't use your checks if you changed your Fund account number.
Selling Shares Through Your Dealer. The Distributor has made arrangements
to repurchase Fund shares from dealers and brokers on behalf of their
customers. Brokers or dealers may charge for that service. Please refer
to "Special Arrangements for Repurchase of Shares from Dealers and
Brokers" in the Statement of Additional Information for more details.
How to Exchange Shares
Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of certain
OppenheimerFunds at net asset value per share at the time of exchange,
without sales charge. To exchange shares, you must meet several
conditions:
- Shares of the fund selected for exchange must be available for sale
in your state of residence
- The prospectuses of this Fund and the fund whose shares you want
to buy must offer the exchange privilege
- You must hold the shares you buy when you establish your account
for at least 7 days before you can exchange them; after the account is
open 7 days, you can exchange shares every regular business day
- You must meet the minimum purchase requirements for the fund you
purchase by exchange
- Before exchanging into a fund, you should obtain and read its
prospectus
Shares of a particular class may be exchanged only for shares of the
same class in the other OppenheimerFunds. For example, you can exchange
Class A shares of this Fund only for Class A shares of another fund. At
present, not all of the OppenheimerFunds offer the same classes of shares.
If a fund has only one class of shares that does not have a class
designation, they are "Class A" shares for exchange purposes. Certain
OppenheimerFunds offer Class A shares and Class B or Class C shares, and
a list can be obtained by calling the Distributor at 1-800-525-7048. In
some cases, sales charges may be imposed on exchange transactions. Please
refer to "How to Exchange Shares" in the Statement of Additional
Information for more details.
Exchanges may be requested in writing or by telephone:
- Written Exchange Requests. Submit an OppenheimerFunds Exchange
Request form, signed by all owners of the account. Send it to the
Transfer Agent at the addresses listed in "How to Sell Shares."
- Telephone Exchange Requests. Telephone exchange requests may be
made either by calling a service representative at 1-800-852-8457 or by
using PhoneLink for automated exchanges, by calling 1-800-533-3310.
Telephone exchanges may be made only between accounts that are registered
with the same name(s) and address. Shares held under certificates may not
be exchanged by telephone.
You can find a list of OppenheimerFunds currently available for
exchanges in the Statement of Additional Information or obtain one by
calling a service representative at 1-800-525-7048. That list can change
from time to time.
There are certain exchange policies you should be aware of:
- Shares are normally redeemed from one fund and purchased from the
other fund in the exchange transaction on the same regular business day
on which the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request that is in proper
form, by the close of The New York Stock Exchange that day, which is
normally 4:00 P.M., but may be earlier on some days. However, either fund
may delay the purchase of shares of the fund you are exchanging into up
to seven days if it determines it would be disadvantaged by a same-day
transfer of the proceeds to buy shares. For example, the receipt of
multiple exchange requests from a dealer in a "market-timing" strategy
might require the sale of portfolio of securities at a time or price
disadvantageous to the Fund.
- Because excessive trading can hurt fund performance and harm
shareholders, the Fund reserves the right to refuse any exchange request
that will disadvantage it, or to refuse multiple exchange requests
submitted by a shareholder or dealer.
- The Fund may amend, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege at
any time. Although the Fund will attempt to provide you notice whenever
it is reasonably able to do so, it may impose these changes at any time.
- For tax purposes, exchanges of shares involve a redemption of the
shares of the fund you own and a purchase of the shares of the other fund,
which may result in a capital gain or loss. For more information about
taxes affecting exchanges, please refer to "How to Exchange Shares" in the
Statement of Additional Information.
- If the Transfer Agent cannot exchange all the shares you request
because of a restriction cited above, only the shares eligible for
exchange will be exchanged.
Shareholder Account Rules and Policies
- Net Asset Value Per Share is determined for each class of shares
as of the close of The New York Stock Exchange on each regular business
day by dividing the value of the Fund's net assets attributable to a class
by the number of shares of that class that are outstanding. The Fund's
Board of Trustees has established procedures to value the Fund's
securities to determine net asset value. In general, securities values
are based on market value. There are special procedures for valuing
illiquid and restricted securities, obligations for which market values
cannot be readily obtained, and call options and hedging instruments.
These procedures are described more completely in the Statement of
Additional Information.
- The offering of shares may be suspended during any period in which
the determination of net asset value is suspended, and the offering may
be suspended by the Board of Trustees at any time the Board believes it
is in the Fund's best interest to do so.
- Telephone Transaction Privileges for purchases, redemptions or
exchanges may be modified, suspended or terminated by the Fund at any
time. If an account has more than one owner, the Fund and the Transfer
Agent may rely on the instructions of any one owner. Telephone privileges
apply to each owner of the account and the dealer representative of record
for the account unless and until the Transfer Agent receives cancellation
instructions from an owner of the account.
- The Transfer Agent will record any telephone calls to verify data
concerning transactions and has adopted other procedures to confirm that
telephone instructions are genuine, by requiring callers to provide tax
identification numbers and other account data or by using PINs, and by
confirming such transactions in writing. If the Transfer Agent does not
use reasonable procedures it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized
transactions, but otherwise neither the Transfer Agent nor the Fund will
be liable for losses or expenses arising out of telephone instructions
reasonably believed to be genuine. If you are unable to reach the
Transfer Agent during periods of unusual market activity, you may not be
able to complete a telephone transaction and should consider placing your
order by mail.
- Redemption or transfer requests will not be honored until the
Transfer Agent receives all required documents in proper form. From time
to time, the Transfer Agent in its discretion may waive certain of the
requirements for redemptions stated in this Prospectus.
- Dealers that can perform account transactions for their clients by
participating in NETWORKING through the National Securities Clearing
Corporation are responsible for obtaining their clients' permission to
perform those transactions and are responsible to their clients who are
shareholders of the Fund if the dealer performs any transaction
erroneously or improperly.
- The redemption price for shares will vary from day to day because
the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio fluctuates, and the
redemption price, which is the net asset value per share, will normally
be different for Class A, Class B and Class C shares. Therefore, the
redemption value of your shares may be more or less than their original
cost.
- Payment for redeemed shares is made ordinarily in cash and
forwarded by check or through AccountLink (as elected by the shareholder
under the redemption procedures described above) within 7 days after the
Transfer Agent receives redemption instructions in proper form, except
under unusual circumstances determined by the Securities and Exchange
Commission delaying or suspending such payments. For accounts registered
in the name of a broker-dealer, payment will be forwarded within 3
business days. The Transfer Agent may delay forwarding a check or
processing a payment via AccountLink for recently purchased shares, but
only until the purchase payment has cleared. That delay may be as much
as 10 days from the date the shares were purchased. That delay may be
avoided if you purchase shares by certified check or arrange to have your
bank provide telephone or written assurance to the Transfer Agent that
your purchase payment has cleared.
- Involuntary redemptions of small accounts may be made by the Fund
if the account value has fallen below $200 for reasons other than the fact
that the market value of shares has dropped, and in some cases involuntary
redemptions may be made to repay the Distributor for losses from the
cancellation of share purchase orders.
- Under unusual circumstances, shares of the Fund may be redeemed "in
kind," which means that the redemption proceeds will be paid with
securities from the Fund's portfolio. Please refer to "How to Sell Shares"
in the Statement of Additional Information for more details.
- "Backup Withholding" of Federal income tax may be applied at the
rate of 31% from taxable dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds
(including exchanges) if you fail to furnish the Fund a certified Social
Security or Employer Identification Number when you sign your application,
or if you violate Internal Revenue Service regulations on tax reporting
of income.
- The Fund does not charge a redemption fee, but if your dealer or
broker handles your redemption, they may charge a fee. That fee can be
avoided by redeeming your Fund shares directly through the Transfer Agent.
Under the circumstances described in "How To Buy Shares," you may be
subject to a contingent deferred sales charges when redeeming certain
Class A, Class B and Class C shares.
- To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to households, the
Fund will mail only one copy of each annual and semi-annual report to
shareholders having the same last name and address on the Fund's records.
However, each shareholder may call the Transfer Agent at 1-800-525-7048
to ask that copies of those materials be sent personally to that
shareholder.
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
Dividends. The Fund declares dividends separately for Class A, Class B and
Class C shares from net tax-exempt income and/or net investment income
each regular business day and pays such dividends to shareholders monthly.
Normally, dividends are paid on or about the tenth business day of each
month, but the Board of Trustees can change that date. It is expected
that distributions paid with respect to Class A shares will generally be
higher than for Class B and Class C shares because expenses allocable to
Class B and Class C shares will generally be higher.
Capital Gains. Although the Fund does not seek capital gains, it may
realize capital gains on the sale of portfolio securities. If it does,
it may make distributions out of any net short-term or long-term capital
gains in December. The Fund may make supplemental distributions of
dividends and capital gains following the end of its fiscal year (which
ends December 31st). Long-term capital gains will be separately identified
in the tax information the Fund sends you after the end of the year.
Short-term capital gains are treated as dividends for tax purposes. There
can be no assurance that the Fund will pay any capital gains distributions
in a particular year.
Distribution Options. When you open your account, specify on your
application how you want to receive your distributions. You have four
options:
- Reinvest All Distributions in the Fund. You can elect to reinvest
all dividends and long-term capital gains distributions in additional
shares of the Fund.
- Reinvest Long-Term Capital Gains Only. You can elect to reinvest
long-term capital gains in the Fund while receiving dividends by check or
sent to your bank account on AccountLink.
- Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive a
check for all dividends and long-term capital gains distributions or have
them sent to your bank on AccountLink.
- Reinvest Your Distributions in Another OppenheimerFunds Account.
You can reinvest all distributions in another OppenheimerFunds account you
have established.
Taxes. Long-term capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gains
when distributed to shareholders. It does not matter how long you held
your shares. Dividends paid from short-term capital gains are taxable as
ordinary income. Dividends paid from net investment income earned by the
Fund on Municipal Securities will be excludable from your gross income for
Federal income tax purposes. A portion of the dividends paid by the Fund
may be an item of tax preference if you are subject to alternative minimum
tax. Distributions are subject to federal income tax and may be subject
to state or local taxes. Whether you reinvest your distributions in
additional shares or take them in cash, the tax treatment is the same.
Every year the Fund will send you and the IRS a statement showing the
amount of each taxable distribution you received in the previous year as
well as the amount of your tax-exempt income.
- "Buying a Dividend": When a fund goes ex-dividend, its share price
is reduced by the amount of the distribution. If you buy shares on or
just before the ex-dividend date, or just before the Fund declares a
capital gains distribution, you will pay the full price for the shares and
then receive a portion of the price back as a taxable dividend or a
capital gain.
- Taxes on Transactions: Share redemptions, including redemptions
for exchanges, are subject to capital gains tax. Even though the Fund
seeks tax-exempt income for distribution to shareholders, you may have a
capital gain or loss when you sell or exchange your shares. A capital
gain or loss is the difference between the price you paid for the shares
and the price you received when you sold them. Any capital gain is
subject to capital gains tax.
- Returns of Capital. In certain cases, distributions made by the
Fund may be considered a non-taxable return of capital to shareholders.
If that occurs, it will be identified in notices to shareholders. A non-
taxable return of capital may reduce your tax basis in your Fund shares.
This information is only a summary of certain federal tax information
about your investment. More information is contained in the Statement of
Additional Information, and in addition you should consult with your tax
adviser about the effect of an investment in the Fund on your particular
tax situation.
<PAGE>
APPENDIX TO PROSPECTUS OF
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
Graphic material included in Prospectus of Oppenheimer California
Tax-Exempt Fund: "Comparison of Total Return of Oppenheimer California
Tax-Exempt Fund and the Lehman Brothers Municipal Bond Index - Change in
Value of a $10,000 Hypothetical Investment"
A linear graph will be included in the Prospectus of Oppenheimer
California Tax-Exempt Fund (the "Fund") depicting the initial account
value and subsequent account value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment
in the Fund. In the case of the Fund's class A shares, that graph will
cover the period from the commencement of the Fund's operations (11/3/88)
through 12/31/94 and in the case of the Fund's Class B shares will cover
the period from the inception of the class (May 1, 1993) through December
31, 1994. The graph will compare such values with hypothetical $10,000
investments over the same time periods in the Lehman Brothers Municipal
Bond Index. Set forth below are the relevant data points that will appear
on the linear graph. Additional information with respect to the
foregoing, including a description of the Lehman Brothers Municipal Bond
Index, is set forth in the Prospectus under "How Has the Fund Performed -
Management's Discussion of Performance."
Fiscal Year Oppenheimer California Lehman Brothers
(Period) Ended Tax-Exempt Fund A Municipal Bond Index
11/3/88 $9,525 $10,000
12/31/88 $9,661 $10,102
12/31/89 $10,783 $11,192
12/31/90 $11,468 $12,008
12/31/91 $12,719 $13,466
12/31/92 $13,768 $14,653
12/31/93 $15,557 $16,453
12/31/94 $14,279 $15,602
Fiscal Year Oppenheimer California Lehman Brothers
(Period) Ended Tax-Exempt Fund B Municipal Bond Index
5/1/93 $10,000 $10,000
12/31/93 $10,638 $10,718
12/31/94 $9,312 $10,164
<PAGE>
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
1-800-525-7048
Investment Advisor
Oppenheimer Management Corporation
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Distributor
Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Transfer Agent
Oppenheimer Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217
1-800-525-7048
Custodian of Portfolio Securities
Citibank, N.A.
One Citicorp Center
New York, New York 10154
Independent Auditors
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
707 Seventeenth Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Legal Counsel
Gordon Altman Butowsky
Weitzen Shalov & Wein
114 West 47th Street
New York, New York 10036
No dealer, broker, salesperson or any other person has been authorized to
give any information or to make any representations other than those
contained in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information
and, if given or made, such information and representations must not be
relied upon as having been authorized by the Fund, Oppenheimer Management
Corporation, Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc., or any affiliate
thereof. This Prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a
solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities offered hereby in
any state to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer in such
state.
(OppenheimerFunds logo)
PR0790.001.1195 Printed on recycled paper
<PAGE>
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
1-800-525-7048
Statement of Additional Information dated November 1, 1995
This Statement of Additional Information is not a Prospectus. This
document contains additional information about the Fund and supplements
information in the Prospectus dated November 1, 1995. It should be read
together with the Prospectus which may be obtained by writing to the
Fund's Transfer Agent, Oppenheimer Shareholders Services at P.O. Box 5270,
Denver, Colorado 80217 or by calling the Transfer Agent at the toll free
number shown above.
Contents
Page
About the Fund
Investment Objective and Policies
Investment Policies and Strategies
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies
Other Investment Restrictions
How the Fund is Managed
Organization and History
Trustees and Officers of the Fund
The Manager and Its Affiliates
Brokerage Policies of the Fund
Performance of the Fund
Distribution and Service Plans
About Your Account
How To Buy Shares
How To Sell Shares
How To Exchange Shares
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
Additional Information About the Fund
Financial Information About the Fund
Independent Auditors' Report
Financial Statements
Appendix A: Municipal Bond Ratings
Appendix B: Equivalent Yield Chart
Appendix C: Industry Classifications
<PAGE>
ABOUT THE FUND
Investment Objective and Policies
Investment Policies and Strategies. The investment objective and policies
of the Fund are discussed in the Prospectus. Set forth below is
supplemental information about those policies. Capitalized terms used in
this Statement of Additional Information have the same meanings as those
terms have in the Prospectus.
The Fund will not make investments with the objective of seeking
capital growth. However, the value of the securities held by the Fund may
be affected by changes in general interest rates. Because the current
value of debt securities varies inversely with changes in prevailing
interest rates, if interest rates increase after a security is purchased,
that security would normally decline in value. Conversely, should
interest rates decrease after a security is purchased, normally its value
would rise. However, those fluctuations in value will not generally
result in realized gains or losses to the Fund since the Fund does not
usually intend to dispose of securities prior to their maturity. A debt
security held to maturity is redeemable by its issuer at full principal
value plus accrued interest. To a limited degree, the Fund may engage in
short-term trading to attempt to take advantage of short-term market
variations, or may dispose of a portfolio security prior to its maturity
if, on the basis of a revised credit evaluation of the issuer or other
considerations, the Fund believes such disposition advisable or it needs
to generate cash to satisfy redemptions. In such cases, the Fund may
realize a capital gain or loss. The annual rate of portfolio turnover is
not expected to exceed 100%.
There are, of course, variations in the security of Municipal
Securities, both within a particular classification and between
classifications, depending on numerous factors. The yields of Municipal
Securities depend on, among other things, general conditions of the
Municipal Securities market, size of a particular offering, the maturity
of the obligation and rating of the issue.
Municipal Securities. The types of Municipal Securities in which the Fund
may invest are described in the Prospectus under "Investment Objective and
Policies." A discussion of the general characteristics of types of
Municipal Securities follows below.
- Municipal Bonds. The principal classifications of long-term
municipal bonds in which the Fund may invest are "general obligation" and
"revenue" or "industrial development" bonds. In California, municipal
bonds may also be funded by property taxes in specially created districts,
(Mello-Roos or Special Assessment Bonds), tax allocations based on
increased property tax assessments over a specified period (frequently for
redevelopment projects) or specified redevelopment area sales allocations.
- General Obligation Bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds
include states, counties, cities, towns, and regional districts. The
proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public
projects, including construction or improvement of schools, highways and
roads, and water and sewer systems. The basic security behind general
obligation bonds is the issuer's pledge of its full faith and credit and
taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that
can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited
as to the rate or amount of special assessments.
- Revenue Bonds. The principal security for a revenue bond is
generally the net revenues derived from a particular facility, group of
facilities, or, in some cases, the proceeds of a special excise or other
specific revenue source. Revenue bonds are issued to finance a wide
variety of capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer
systems; highways, bridges, and tunnels; port and airport facilities;
colleges and universities; and hospitals. Although the principal security
behind these bonds may vary, many provide additional security in the form
of a debt service reserve fund whose money may be used to make principal
and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. Housing finance
authorities have a wide range of security, including partially or fully
insured mortgages, rent subsidized and/or collateralized mortgages, and/or
the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Some authorities
provide further security in the form of a state's ability (without
obligation) to make up deficiencies in the debt service reserve fund.
- Industrial Development Bonds. Industrial development bonds,
which are considered municipal bonds if the interest paid is exempt from
federal income tax, are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to
raise money to finance various privately operated facilities for business
and manufacturing, housing, sports, and pollution control. These bonds
are also used to finance public facilities such as airports, mass transit
systems, ports, and parking. The payment of the principal and interest
on such bonds is dependent solely on the ability of the facility's user
to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and
personal property so financed as security for such payment.
- Mello-Roos Bonds. Bonds issued pursuant to the California Mello-
Roos Community Facilities Act ("Mello-Roos bonds") are used to finance
infrastructure projects (such as roads or sewage treatment plants) and are
primarily secured by real estate taxes levied on property located in the
same community as that project. Mello-Roos bond financing arose in
response to limitations contained in California's statutory limitations
on real property taxes (see "Special Investment Considerations --
California Municipal Securities" below), and do not constitute obligations
of a municipality. Timely payment of such bonds depends on the developer
or other property owners' ability to pay their real estate taxes which
could be adversely affected by a declining economy and/or real estate
market.
- Municipal Notes. Municipal Securities having a maturity when
issued of less than one year are generally known as municipal notes.
Municipal notes generally are used to provide for short-term working
capital needs and include:
- Tax Anticipation Notes. Tax anticipation notes are issued to
finance working capital needs of municipalities. Generally, they are
issued in anticipation of various seasonal tax revenue, such as income,
sales, use of business taxes, and are payable from these specific future
taxes.
- Revenue Anticipation Notes. Revenue anticipation notes are
issued in expectation of receipt of other types of revenue, such as
federal revenues available under the Federal revenue sharing programs.
- Bond Anticipation Notes. Bond anticipation notes are issued
to provide interim financing until long-term financing can be arranged.
In most cases, the long-term bonds then provide the money for the
repayment of the notes.
- Construction Loan Notes. Construction loan notes are sold to
provide construction financing. After successful completion and
acceptance, many projects receive permanent financing through the Federal
Housing Administration.
- Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper. Tax-exempt commercial paper is a
short-term obligation with a stated maturity of 365 days or less. It is
issued by state and local governments or their agencies to finance
seasonal working capital needs or as short-term financing in anticipation
of longer-term financing.
- Floating Rate/Variable Rate Obligations. Floating rate and
variable rate demand notes are tax-exempt obligations which may have a
stated maturity in excess of one year, but may include features that
permit the holder to recover the principal amount of the underlying
security at specified intervals not exceeding one year and upon no more
than 30 days' notice. The issuer of such notes normally has a
corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the
outstanding principal amount of the note plus accrued interest upon a
specified number of days notice to the holder. The interest rate on a
floating rate demand note is based on a stated prevailing market rate,
such as a bank's prime rate, the 90-day U.S. Treasury Bill rate, or some
other standard, and is adjusted automatically each time such rate is
adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is also based
on a stated prevailing market rate but is adjusted automatically at
specified intervals of no less than one year. Generally, the changes in
the interest rate on such securities reduce the fluctuation in their
market value. As interest rates decrease or increase, the potential for
capital appreciation or depreciation is less than that for fixed-rate
obligations of the same maturity. The Fund's investment adviser,
Oppenheimer Management Corporation (the "Manager"), may determine that an
unrated floating rate or variable rate demand obligation meets the Fund's
quality standards by reason of being backed by a letter of credit or
guarantee issued by a bank that meets those quality standards.
- Inverse Floaters and Other Derivative Investments. Some inverse
floaters have a feature known as an interest rate "cap" as part of the
terms of the investment. Investing in inverse floaters that have interest
rate caps might be part of a portfolio strategy to try to maintain a high
current yield for the Fund when the Fund has invested in inverse floaters
that expose the Fund to the risk of short-term interest rate fluctuation.
Embedded caps hedge a portion of the Fund's exposure to rising interest
rates. When interest rates exceed the pre-determined rate, the cap
generates additional cash flows that offset the decline in interest rates
on the inverse floater, and the hedge is successful. However, the Fund
bears the risk that if interest rates do not rise above the pre-determined
rate, the cap (which is purchased for additional cost) will not provide
additional cash flows and will expire worthless.
- Municipal Lease Obligations. While some municipal lease
obligations purchased by the Fund may be deemed to be illiquid securities
(the purchases of which will be limited as described in the Prospectus),
from time to time the Fund may invest more than 5% of its net assets in
municipal lease obligations that the Manager has determined to be liquid
under guidelines set by the Board of Trustees. Those guidelines require
the Manager to evaluate: (1) the frequency of trades and price quotations
for such securities; (2) the number of dealers or other potential buyers
willing to purchase or sell such securities; (3) the availability of
market-makers; and (4) the nature of the trades for such securities. The
Manager will also evaluate the likelihood of a continuing market for such
securities throughout the time they are held by the Fund and the credit
quality of the instrument. Municipal leases may take the form of a lease
or an installment purchase contract issued by a state or local government
authority to obtain funds to acquire a wide variety of equipment and
facilities. Although lease obligations do not constitute general
obligations of the municipality for which the municipality's taxing power
is pledged, a lease obligation is ordinarily backed by the municipality's
covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the
lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain "non-
appropriation" clauses which provide that the municipality has no
obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years
unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Projects
financed with certificates of participation generally are not subject to
state constitutional debt limitations or other statutory requirements that
may be applicable to Municipal Securities. Payments by the public entity
on the obligation underlying the certificates are derived from available
revenue sources; such revenue may be diverted to the funding of other
municipal service projects. Payments of interest and/or principal with
respect to the certificates are not guaranteed and do not constitute an
obligation of the State of California or any of its political
subdivisions.
In addition to the risk of "non-appropriation," municipal lease
securities do not yet have a highly developed market to provide the degree
of liquidity of conventional municipal bonds. Municipal leases, like
other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment.
The ability of issuers of municipal leases to make timely lease payments
may be adversely affected in general economic downturns and as relative
governmental cost burdens are reallocated among federal, state and local
governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of
income to the Fund, and could result in a reduction in the value of the
municipal lease experiencing non-payment and a potential decrease in the
net asset value of the Fund.
- Puts and Standby Commitments. When the Fund buys Municipal
Securities, it may obtain a standby commitment to repurchase the
securities that entitles it to achieve same-day settlement from the
purchaser and to receive an exercise price equal to the amortized cost of
the underlying security plus accrued interest, if any, at the time of
exercise. A put purchased in conjunction with a Municipal Security
enables the Fund to sell the underlying security within a specified period
of time at a fixed exercise price. The Fund may pay for a standby
commitment or put either separately in cash or by paying a higher price
for the securities acquired subject to the standby commitment or put. The
Fund will enter into these transactions only with banks and dealers which,
in the Manager's opinion, present minimal credit risks. The Fund's
ability to exercise a put or standby commitment will depend on the ability
of the bank or dealer to pay for the securities if the put or standby
commitment is exercised. If the bank or dealer should default on its
obligation, the Fund might not be able to recover all or a portion of any
loss sustained from having to sell the security elsewhere. Puts and
standby commitments are not transferrable by the Fund, and therefore
terminate if the Fund sells the underlying security to a third party. The
Fund intends to enter into these arrangements to facilitate portfolio
liquidity, although such arrangements may enable the Fund to sell a
security at a pre-arranged price which may be higher than the prevailing
market price at the time the put or standby commitment is exercised.
However, the Fund might refrain from exercising a put or standby
commitment if the exercise price is significantly higher than the
prevailing market price, to avoid imposing a loss on the seller which
could jeopardize the Fund's business relationships with the seller. Any
consideration paid by the Fund for the put or standby commitment (which
increases the cost of the security and reduces the yield otherwise
available from the security) will be reflected on the Fund's books as
unrealized depreciation while the put or standby commitment is held, and
a realized gain or loss when the put or commitment is exercised or
expires. Interest income received by the Fund from Municipal Securities
subject to puts or stand-by commitments may not qualify as tax exempt in
its hands if the terms of the put or stand-by commitment cause the Fund
not to be treated as the tax owner of the underlying Municipal Securities.
- When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may
purchase Municipal Securities on a "when-issued" basis, and may buy or
sell such securities on a "delayed delivery" basis. Although the Fund
will enter into such transactions for the purpose of acquiring securities
for its portfolio or for delivery pursuant to options contracts it has
entered into, the Fund may dispose of a commitment prior to settlement.
"When-issued" or "delayed delivery" refers to securities whose terms and
indenture are available and for which a market exists, but which are not
available for immediate delivery. When such transactions are negotiated,
the price (which is generally expressed in yield terms) is fixed at the
time the commitment is made, but delivery and payment for the securities
take place at a later date. The Fund does not intend to make such
purchases for speculative purposes. The commitment to purchase a security
for which payment will be made on a future date may be deemed a separate
security and involve risk of loss if the value of the security declines
prior to the settlement date. During the period between commitment by the
Fund and settlement (generally within two months but not to exceed 120
days), no payment is made for the securities purchased by the purchaser,
and no interest accrues to the purchaser from the transaction. Such
securities are subject to market fluctuation; the value at delivery may
be less than the purchase price. The Fund will maintain a segregated
account with its Custodian, consisting of cash, U.S. Government securities
or other high grade debt obligations at least equal to the value of
purchase commitments until payment is made.
The Fund will engage in when-issued transactions in order to secure
what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of
entering into the obligation. When the Fund engages in when-issued or
delayed delivery transactions, it relies on the buyer or seller, as the
case may be, to consummate the transaction. Failure of the buyer or
seller to do so may result in the Fund losing the opportunity to obtain
a price and yield considered to be advantageous. At the time the Fund
makes a commitment to purchase or sell a security on a when-issued or
forward commitment basis, it records the transaction and reflects the
value of the security purchased, or if a sale, the proceeds to be
received, in determining its net asset value. If the Fund chooses to (i)
dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security prior to its
acquisition or (ii) dispose of its right to deliver or receive against a
forward commitment, it may incur a gain or loss.
To the extent the Fund engages in when-issued and delayed delivery
transactions, it will do so for the purpose of acquiring or selling
securities consistent with its investment objective and policies and not
for the purposes of investment leverage. The Fund enters into such
transactions only with the intention of actually receiving or delivering
the securities, although (as noted above), when-issued securities and
forward commitments may be sold prior to settlement date. In addition,
changes in interest rates before settlement in a direction other than that
expected by the Manager will affect the value of such securities and may
cause a loss to the Fund.
When-issued transactions and forward commitments allow the Fund a
technique to use against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices.
For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, the
Fund might sell securities in its portfolio on a forward commitment basis
to attempt to limit its exposure to anticipated falling prices. In
periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, the Fund might sell
portfolio securities and purchase the same or similar securities on a
when-issued or forward commitment basis, thereby obtaining the benefit of
currently higher cash yields.
- Private Activity Municipal Securities. The Tax Reform Act of 1986
(the "Tax Reform Act") reorganized, as well as amended, the rules
governing tax exemption for interest on Municipal Securities. The Tax
Reform Act generally does not change the tax treatment of bonds issued in
order to finance governmental operations. Thus, interest on obligations
issued by or on behalf of state or local governments, the proceeds of
which are used to finance the operations of such governments (e.g.,
general obligation bonds) continues to be tax-exempt. However, the Tax
Reform Act further limited the use of tax-exempt bonds for non-
governmental (private) purposes. More stringent restrictions were placed
on the use of proceeds of such bonds. Interest on certain private
activity bonds (other than those specified as "qualified" tax-exempt
private activity bonds, e.g., exempt facility bonds including certain
industrial development bonds, qualified mortgage bonds, qualified Section
501(c)(3) bonds, qualified student loan bonds, etc.) is taxable under the
revised rules.
Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7,
1986, which continues to be tax-exempt will be treated as a tax preference
item subject to the alternative minimum tax (discussed below) to which
certain taxpayers are subject. Furthermore, a private activity bond which
would otherwise be a qualified tax-exempt private activity bond will not,
under Internal Revenue Code Section 147(a), be a qualified bond for any
period during which it is held by a person who is a "substantial user" of
the facilities or by a "related person" of such a substantial user. This
"substantial user" provision is applicable primarily to exempt facility
bonds and industrial development bonds. The Fund may not be an
appropriate investment for entities which are "substantial users" (or
persons related thereto) of such exempt facilities, and such persons
should consult their own tax advisers before purchasing shares. A
"substantial user" of such facilities is defined generally as a "non-
exempt person who regularly uses part of a facility" financed from the
proceeds of exempt facility bonds. Generally, an individual will not be
a "related person" under the Internal Revenue Code unless such investor
or the investor's immediate family (spouse, brothers, sisters and
immediate descendants) own directly or indirectly in the aggregate more
than 50% in value of the equity of a corporation or partnership which is
a "substantial user" of a facility financed from the proceeds of exempt
facility bonds. In addition, the Tax Reform Act revised downward that
limitations as to the amount of private activity bonds which each state
may issue, which will reduce the supply of such bonds. The value of the
Fund's portfolio could be affected if there is a reduction in the
availability of such bonds. That value may also be affected by a 1988
U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the
imposition of a Federal tax on the interest earned on Municipal Securities
issued in bearer form.
A Municipal Security is treated as a taxable private activity bond
under a test for (a) a trade or business use and security interest, or (b)
a private loan restriction. Under the trade or business use and security
interest test, an obligation is a private activity bond if (i) more than
10% of bond proceeds are used for private business purposes and (ii) 10%
or more of the payment of principal or interest on the issue is directly
or indirectly derived from such private use or is secured by the privately
used property or the payments related to the use of the property. For
certain types of uses, a 5% threshold is substituted for the 10%
threshold. (The term "private business use" means any direct or indirect
use in a trade or business carried on by an individual or entity other
than a state or municipal governmental unit.) Under the private loan
restriction, the amount of bond proceeds that may be used to make private
loans is limited to the lesser of 5% or $5 million of the proceeds. Thus,
certain issues of Municipal Securities could lose their tax-exempt status
retroactively if the issuer fails to meet certain requirements as to the
expenditure of the proceeds of that issue or use of the bond-financed
facility. The Fund makes no independent investigation of the users of
such bonds or their use of proceeds. If the Fund should hold a bond that
loses the tax exempt status retroactively, there might be an adjustment
to the tax-exempt income previously paid to shareholders.
The Federal alternative minimum tax is designed to ensure that all
taxpayers pay some tax, even if their regular tax is zero. This is
accomplished in part by including in taxable income certain tax preference
items in arriving at alternative minimum taxable income. The Tax Reform
Act made tax-exempt interest from certain private activity bonds a tax
preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax on individuals
and corporations. Any exempt-interest dividend paid by a regulated
investment company will be treated as interest on a specific private
activity bond to the extent of its proportionate share of the interest on
such bonds received by the regulated investment company. The U.S.Treasury
is authorized to issue regulations implementing this provision. In
addition, corporate taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax may,
under some circumstances, have to include exempt-interest dividends in
calculating their alternative minimum taxable income in situations where
the "adjusted current earnings" of the corporation exceeds its alternative
minimum taxable income. The Fund may hold Municipal Securities the
interest on which (and thus a proportionate share of the exempt-interest
dividends paid by the Fund) will be subject to the Federal alternative
minimum tax on individuals and corporations. The Fund anticipates that
under normal circumstances it will not purchase any such securities in an
amount greater than 20% of its total assets.
- Ratings of Municipal Securities. Ratings by Moody's, S&P and Fitch
(see Appendix A) represent their respective opinions of the quality of the
Municipal Securities they undertake to rate. However, such ratings are
general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, Municipal
Securities with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different
yields, while Municipal Securities of the same maturity and coupon with
different ratings may have the same yield. Investment in lower quality
securities may produce a higher yield than securities rated in the higher
rating categories described in the Prospectus (or judged by the Manager
to be of comparable quality). However, the added risk of lower quality
securities might not be consistent with a policy of preservation of
capital.
Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund, a Municipal Security may
cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required
for purchase by the Fund. Neither event requires the Fund to sell the
security, but the Manager will consider such events in determining whether
the Fund should continue to hold the security. To the extent that ratings
given by Moody's, Standard & Poor's, or Fitch change as a result of
changes in such organizations or their rating systems, the Fund will
attempt to use comparable ratings as standards for investments in
accordance with the Fund's investment policies.
Special Investment Considerations - California Municipal Securities. As
stated in the Prospectus, the values of the Fund's California Municipal
Securities are highly sensitive to the fiscal stability of California and
its subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities or authorities, which issue
the Municipal Securities in which the Trust concentrates its investments.
Certain amendments to the California State constitution, legislative
measures, executive orders, civil actions and voter initiatives in recent
years that could adversely affect the ability of California issuers to pay
interest and principal on Municipal Securities are described below. The
following constitutes only a brief summary, and is based on information
drawn from the relevant statutes and certain other publicly available
information. The Fund has not independently verified such information.
Changes in California constitutional and other laws during the last
several years have caused concerns about the ability of California state
and municipal issuers to obtain sufficient revenue to pay their bond
obligations. In 1978, California voters approved an amendment to the
California Constitution known as Proposition 13, which added Article XIIIA
to the California Constitution. Article XIIIA limits ad valorem taxes on
real property and restricts the ability of taxing entities to increase
real property taxes. However, legislation passed subsequent to
Proposition 13 provided for the redistribution of California's General
Fund surplus to local agencies, the reallocation of revenues to local
agencies and the assumption of certain local obligations by the state so
as to help California municipal issuers raise revenue to pay their bond
obligations. It is unknown whether additional revenue redistribution
legislation will be enacted in the future and whether, if enacted, such
legislation will provide sufficient revenue for such California issuers
to pay their obligations.
The state is also subject to another constitutional amendment,
Article XIIIB, which may have an adverse impact on California state and
municipal issuers. Article XIIIB restricts the state from spending
certain appropriations in excess of an appropriations limit imposed for
each state and local government entity. If revenues exceed such
appropriations limit, such revenues must be returned either as revisions
in the tax rates or fee schedules. In 1988, California voters approved
an initiative known as Proposition 98, which in addition to amending
Article XIIIB, amended Article XVI to require a minimum level of funding
for public schools and community colleges. In 1992-93 and 1993-94, the
state budget met part of its commitment to education through $1.8 billion
in off-book loans. The legality of these loans was challenged in a
lawsuit by the California Teachers Association. A lower court in
California has ruled against the state, and under this decision the
schools would not be required to repay these loans. If upheld on appeal,
the ruling would increase the state's officially recognized 1994-95 year-
end deficit by $1.8 billion.
Because of the uncertain impact of the aforementioned legislation,
the possible inconsistencies in the respective terms of the statutes and
the impossibility of predicting the level of future appropriations and
applicability of related statutes to such questions, it is not currently
possible to assess the impact of such legislation and policies on the long
term ability of the State of California and California municipal issuers
to pay interest or repay principal on their obligations.
Although the national economic recovery is continuing at a strong
pace, California is still experiencing the effects of a recession.
Unemployment has remained above the national average since 1990.
Substantial contracting in California's defense related industries,
overbuilding in commercial real estate, and consolidation and decline in
the state's financial services industry will likely produce slower overall
growth in 1995 and 1996. The earthquake which struck Northridge,
California on January 17, 1994 is not expected to derail the state's
economic recovery, although it may carry long-term implications for the
City of Los Angeles.
These economic difficulties have exacerbated the budget imbalance
which has been evident since 1985-86. Since that time, the state has
recorded General Fund operating deficits in five of the past six fiscal
years. Many of these problems have been attributable to a great
population increase which has increased demand for educational and social
services at a pace far greater than the growth in revenues.
By June, 1994, the General Fund had an accumulated deficit, on a
budgeted basis, of approximately $2.4 billion. In addition, the deficit
over the previous three years had exhausted the state's available cash
reserves and resources. In July and August, 1994, the state was required
to issue a total of $7 billion of short-term revenue anticipation warrants
to fund, in part, the state's management flow it needs for the 1994-95
fiscal year.
On July 8, 1994, the Governor signed into law a new $57.5 billion
budget which includes General Fund spending of $40.9 billion, up 4.2% from
the level of spending during the 1993-94 fiscal year. The budget also
envisions General Fund spending climbing another 8.4% in the 1995-96
fiscal year. The budget forecasts levels of revenue and expenditures
which will result in operating surpluses in both 1994-95 and 1995-96,
leading to the elimination of the budget deficit by June 30, 1996.
Because of the State of California's continuing budget problems, the
state's General Obligation bonds were downgraded in July 1994 from Aa to
A1 by Moody's, from A+ to A by Standard & Poor's and from AA to A by
Fitch. All three rating agencies expressed uncertainty in the state's
ability to balance its budget by 1996.
On December 6, 1994, Orange County (California) became the largest
municipality in the United States to file for protection under the Federal
bankruptcy laws. The filing stemmed from approximately $1.7 billion in
losses suffered by the County's investment pool due to investments in high
risk "derivative" securities. Over 185 public agencies had funds invested
in the pool, and these funds may be accessed only with permission of the
bankruptcy court. It is unclear whether the state will lend financial or
other assistance to Orange County to prevent the County from defaulting
on its other obligations.
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies
- Repurchase Agreements. In a repurchase transaction, the Fund
purchases a security from, and simultaneously resells it to, an approved
vendor (a U.S. commercial bank, the U.S. branch of a foreign bank or a
broker-dealer which has been designated a primary dealer in government
securities, which must meet the credit requirements set by the Fund's
Board of Trustees from time to time) for delivery on an agreed-on future
date. The resale price exceeds the purchase price by an amount that
reflects an agreed-upon interest rate effective for the period during
which the repurchase agreement is in effect. The majority of these
transactions run from day to day, and delivery pursuant to the resale
typically will occur within one to five days of the purchase. Repurchase
agreements are considered "loans" under the Investment Company Act,
collateralized by the underlying security. The Fund's repurchase
agreements require that at all times while the repurchase agreement is in
effect, the value of the collateral must equal or exceed the repurchase
price to fully collateralize the repayment obligation. Additionally, the
Manager will impose creditworthiness requirements to confirm that the
vendor is financially sound and will continuously monitor the collateral's
value.
- Loans of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend its portfolio
securities subject to the restrictions stated in the Prospectus. Under
applicable regulatory requirements (which are subject to change), the loan
collateral must, on each business day at least equal the market value of
the loaned securities and must consist of cash, bank letters of credit or
U.S. Government securities, or other cash equivalents in which the Fund
is permitted to invest. To be acceptable as collateral, letters of credit
must obligate a bank to pay amounts demanded by the Fund if the demand
meets the terms of the letter. Such terms and the issuing bank must be
satisfactory to the Fund. In a portfolio securities lending transaction,
the Fund receives from the borrower amounts equal to the dividends or
interest on loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the
interest on the collateral securities, less any finders' or administrative
fees. The Fund pays in arranging the loan. The Fund may share the
interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower as
long as it realizes at least a minimum amount of interest required by the
lending guidelines established by its Board of Trustees. The Fund will
not lend its portfolio securities to any officer, trustee, employee or
affiliate of the Fund or its Manager. The terms of the Fund's loans must
meet certain tests under the Internal Revenue Code and permit the Fund to
reacquire loaned securities on five business days' notice or in time to
vote on any important matter.
- Hedging. The Fund may use hedging instruments for the purposes
described in the Prospectus. When hedging to attempt to protect against
declines in the market value of the Fund's portfolio, to permit the Fund
to retain unrealized gains in the value of portfolio securities which have
appreciated, or to facilitate selling securities for investment reasons,
the Fund may: (i) sell Interest Rate Futures or Municipal Bond Index
Futures, (ii) buy puts on such Futures or securities, or (iii) write
covered calls on securities, Interest Rate Futures or Municipal Bond Index
Futures (as described in the Prospectus). Covered calls may also be
written on debt securities to attempt to increase the Fund's income. When
hedging to permit the Fund to establish a position in the debt securities
market as a temporary substitute for purchasing individual debt securities
(which the Fund will normally purchase, and then terminate that hedging
position), the Fund may: (i) buy Interest Rate Futures or Municipal Bond
Index Futures, or (ii) buy calls on such Futures or on securities.
The Fund's strategy of hedging with Futures and options on Futures
will be incidental to the Fund's investment activities in the underlying
cash market. In the future, the Fund may employ hedging instruments and
strategies that are not presently contemplated, but which may be
developed, to the extent such investment methods are consistent with the
Fund's investment objective and are legally permissible and disclosed in
the Prospectus. Additional information about the hedging instruments the
Fund may use is provided below.
- Writing Covered Call Options. As described in the Prospectus, the
Fund may write covered calls. When the Fund writes a call on a security,
it receives a premium and agrees to sell the underlying investment to a
purchaser of a corresponding call during the call period (usually not more
than nine months) at a fixed exercise price (which may differ from the
market price of the underlying investment) regardless of market price
changes during the call period. The Fund has retained the risk of loss
should the price of the underlying security decline during the call
period, which may be offset to some extent by the premium.
To terminate its obligation on a call it has written, the Fund may
purchase a corresponding call in a "closing purchase transaction." A
profit or loss will be realized, depending upon whether the net of the
amount of option transaction costs and the premium received on the call
the Fund has written is more or less than the price of the call the Fund
subsequently purchased. A profit may also be realized if the call lapses
unexercised, because the Fund retains the related investments and the
premium received. Any such profits are considered short-term capital
gains for Federal income tax purposes, and when distributed by the Fund
are taxable as ordinary income. An option position may be closed out only
on a market which provides secondary trading for options of the same
series, and there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will
exist for any particular option. If the Fund could not effect a closing
purchase transaction due to a lack of a market, it would have to hold the
callable securities until the call lapsed or was exercised.
The Fund may also write calls on Futures without owning a futures
contract or deliverable securities, provided that at the time the call is
written, the Fund covers the call by segregating in escrow an equivalent
dollar value of liquid assets. The Fund will segregate additional liquid
assets if the value of the escrowed assets drops below 100% of the current
value of the Future. In no circumstances would an exercise notice as to
that Future put the Fund in a short futures position.
- Interest Rate Futures. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts
relating to debt securities ("Interest Rate Futures") and municipal bond
indices ("Municipal Bond Index Futures," discussed below). No price is
paid or received upon the purchase or sale of an Interest Rate Future.
An Interest Rate Future obligates the seller to deliver and the purchaser
to take a specific type of debt security or cash to settle the futures
transaction, or to enter into an offsetting contract. Upon entering into
a Futures transaction, the Fund will be required to deposit an initial
margin payment in cash or U.S. Treasury bills, with the futures commission
merchant (the "futures broker"). Initial margin payments will be
deposited with the Fund's Custodian in an account registered in the
futures broker's name; however, the futures broker can gain access to that
account only under certain specified conditions. As the Future is marked
to market to reflect changes in its market value, (that is, its value on
the Fund's books is changed) subsequent margin payments, called variation
margin, will be paid to or by the futures broker on a daily basis.
At any time prior to the expiration of the Future, the Fund may elect
to close out its position by taking an opposite position at which time a
final determination of variation margin is made and additional cash is
required to be paid by or released to the Fund. Any gain or loss is then
realized by the Fund on the Future for tax purposes. Although Interest
Rate Futures by their terms call for settlement by the delivery of debt
securities, in most cases the obligation is fulfilled without such
delivery by entering into an offsetting transaction. All futures
transactions are effected through a clearing house associated with the
exchange on which the contracts are traded.
- Municipal Bond Index Futures. A "municipal bond index" assigns
relative values to the municipal bonds included in that index, and is used
to serve as the basis for trading long-term municipal bond futures
contracts. Municipal Bond Index Futures are similar to Interest Rate
Futures except that settlement is made in cash. No physical delivery is
made of the underlying bonds in the index. The obligation under such
contracts may also be satisfied by entering into an offsetting contract
to close out the futures position. Net gain or loss on options on
Municipal Bond Index Futures depends on the price movements of the
securities included in the index. The strategies which the Fund employs
regarding Municipal Bond Index Futures are similar to those described
above with regard to Interest Rate Futures.
- Purchasing Calls and Puts. When the Fund purchases a call (other
than in a closing purchase transaction), it pays a premium and, except as
to calls on Municipal Bond Index Futures, has the right to buy the
underlying investment from a seller of a corresponding call on the same
investment during the call period at a fixed exercise price. In
purchasing a call, the Fund benefits only if the call is sold at a profit
or if, during the call period, the market price of the underlying
investment is above the sum of the call price plus the transaction costs
and premium paid for the call, and the call is exercised. If the call is
not exercised or sold (whether or not at a profit), it will become
worthless at its expiration date and the Fund will lose its premium
payment and the right to purchase the underlying investment. When the
Fund purchases a call or put a municipal bond index, Municipal Bond Index
Future or Interest Rate Future, it pays a premium, but settlement is in
cash rather than by delivery of the underlying investment to the Fund.
Gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question (and thus on
price movements in the debt securities market generally) rather than on
price movements in individual futures contracts.
When the Fund purchases a put, it pays a premium and, except as to
puts on municipal bond indices, has the right to sell the underlying
investment to a seller of a corresponding put on the same investment
during the put period at a fixed exercise price. Buying a put on a debt
security, Interest Rate Future or Municipal Bond Index Future the Fund
owns enables the Fund to protect itself during the put period against a
decline in the value of the underlying investment below the exercise price
by selling such underlying investment at the exercise price to a seller
of a corresponding put. If the market price of the underlying investment
is equal to or above the exercise price and as a result the put is not
exercised or resold, the put will become worthless at its expiration date
and the Fund will lose its premium payment and the right to sell the
underlying investment. The put may, however, be sold prior to expiration
(whether or not at a profit).
- Interest Rate Swap Transactions. Swap agreements entail both
interest rate risk and credit risk. There is a risk that, based on
movements of interest rates in the future, the payments made by the Fund
under a swap agreement will have been greater than those received by it.
Credit risk arises from the possibility that the counterparty will
default. If the counterparty to an interest rate swap defaults, the
Fund's loss will consist of the net amount of contractual interest
payments that the Fund has not yet received. The Manager will monitor the
creditworthiness of counterparties to the Fund's interest rate swap
transactions on an ongoing basis. The Fund will enter into swap
transactions with appropriate counterparties pursuant to master netting
agreements.
A master netting agreement provides that all swaps done between the
Fund and that counterparty under the master agreement shall be regarded
as parts of an integral agreement. If on any date amounts are payable in
the same currency in respect of one or more swap transactions, the net
amount payable on that date in that currency shall be paid. In addition,
the master netting agreement may provide that if one party defaults
generally or on one swap, the counterparty may terminate the swaps with
that party. Under such agreements, if there is a default resulting in a
loss to one party, the measure of that party's damages is calculated by
reference to the average cost of a replacement swap with respect to each
swap (i.e., the mark-to-market value at the time of the termination of
each swap). The gains and losses on all swaps are then netted, and the
result is the counterparty's gain or loss on termination. The termination
of all swaps and the netting of gains and losses on termination is
generally referred to as "aggregation." The Fund will not invest more
than 25% of its assets in interest rate swap transactions.
- Additional Information About Hedging Instruments and Their Use.
The Fund's Custodian, or a securities depository acting for the Custodian,
will act as the Fund's escrow agent through the facilities of the Options
Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), as to the investments on which the Fund has
written options traded on exchanges, or as to other acceptable escrow
securities, so that no margin will be required for such transactions. OCC
will release the securities covering a call on the expiration of the call
or when the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Call writing
affects the Fund's turnover rate and the brokerage commissions it pays.
Commissions are payable on writing or purchasing a call.
The Fund's option activities may affect its turnover rate and
brokerage commissions. The exercise of calls written by the Fund may
cause it to sell underlying investments, thus increasing its turnover rate
in a manner beyond its control. The exercise by the Fund of puts may also
cause the sale of underlying investments, also causing turnover, since the
underlying investment might be sold for reasons which would not exist in
the absence of the put. The Fund will pay a brokerage commission each
time it buys a call or a put or sells a call. Premiums paid for options
are small in relation to the market value of the related investments and,
consequently, put and call options offer large amounts of leverage. The
leverage offered by trading in options could cause the Fund's net asset
value to be more sensitive to changes in the value of the underlying
investments.
- Regulatory Aspects of Hedging Instruments. The use of Futures and
options thereon to attempt to protect against the market risk of a decline
in the value of portfolio securities is referred to as having a "short
futures position," and the use of such instruments to attempt to protect
against the market risk that portfolio securities are not fully included
in an increase in value of the market as a whole is referred to as having
a "long futures position." The Fund must operate within certain
restrictions as to its long and short positions in Futures and options
thereon under a rule ("CFTC Rule") adopted by the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission ("CFTC") under the Commodity Exchange Act (the "CEA"),
which excludes the Fund from registration with the CFTC as a "commodity
pool operator" (as defined under the CEA), if it complies with the CFTC
Rule. The Rule does not limit the percentage of the Fund's assets that
may be used for Futures margin and related options premiums for a bona
fide hedging position. However, under the Rule the Fund must limit its
aggregate initial futures margin and related option premiums to not more
than 5% of the Fund's net assets for hedging strategies that are not
considered bona fide hedging strategies under the Rule. Under the Rule,
the Fund also must, as to its short positions, use Futures and options
thereon solely for bona fide hedging purposes within the meaning and
intent of the applicable provisions of the CEA.
Transactions in options by the Fund are subject to limitations
established by each of the exchanges governing the maximum number of
options which may be written or held by a single investor or group of
investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options were
written or purchased on the same or different exchanges or are held in one
or more accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one
or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which the Fund may write or
hold may be affected by options written or held by other entities,
including other investment companies having the same adviser as the Fund
or an affiliated investment adviser. Position limits also apply to
Futures. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be
in violation of these limits and may impose certain other sanctions. Due
to requirements under the Investment Company Act, when the Fund purchases
an Interest Rate Future or Municipal Bond Index Future, the Fund will
maintain, in a segregated account or accounts with its Custodian, cash or
readily-marketable, short-term (maturing in one year or less) debt
instruments in an amount equal to the market value of the investments
underlying such Future, less the margin deposit applicable to it.
- Tax Aspects of Hedging Instruments and Covered Calls. The Fund
intends to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal
Revenue Code. One of the tests for such qualification is that less than
30% of its gross income must be derived from gains realized on the sale
of securities held for less than three months. Due to this limitation,
the Fund will limit the extent to which it engages in the following
activities, but will not be precluded from them: (i) selling investments,
including Interest Rate Futures and Municipal Bond Index Futures, held for
less than three months, whether or not they were purchased on the exercise
of a call held by the Fund; (ii) writing calls on investments held less
than three months; (iii) purchasing calls or puts which expire in less
than three months; (iv) effecting closing transactions with respect to
calls or puts purchased less than three months previously; and (v)
exercising puts or calls held by the Fund for less than three months.
- Risks of Hedging with Options and Futures. In addition to the
risks with respect to hedging discussed in the Prospectus and above, there
is a risk in using short hedging by (i) selling Interest Rate Futures and
Municipal Bond Index Futures or (ii) purchasing puts on municipal bond
indices or Futures to attempt to protect against declines in the value of
the Fund's securities. The risk is that the prices of such Futures will
correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the cash (i.e., market value)
prices of the Fund's securities. The ordinary spreads between prices in
the cash and futures markets are subject to distortions due to
differences in the natures of those markets. First, all participants in
the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance
requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements,
investors may close out futures contracts through offsetting transactions
which could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures
markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on
participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or
taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take
delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing
distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the deposit
requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin
requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation
by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price
distortions.
The risk of imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the
Fund's portfolio diverges from the securities included in the applicable
index. To compensate for the imperfect correlation of movements in the
price of the debt securities being hedged and movements in the price of
the Hedging Instruments, the Fund may use Hedging Instruments in a greater
dollar amount than the dollar amount of debt securities being hedged if
the historical volatility of the prices of such debt securities being
hedged is more than the historical volatility of the applicable index.
It is also possible that when the Fund has used Hedging Instruments in a
short hedge, the market may advance and the value of the debt securities
held in the Fund's portfolio may decline. If this occurred, the Fund
would lose money on the Hedging Instruments and also experience a decline
in value of its debt securities. However, while this could occur for a
very brief period or to a very small degree, over time the value of a
diversified portfolio of debt securities will tend to move in the same
direction as the indices upon which the Hedging Instruments are based.
If the Fund uses Hedging Instruments to establish a position in the
debt securities markets as a temporary substitute for the purchase of
particular debt securities (long hedging) by buying Interest Rate Futures,
Municipal Bond Index Futures and/or calls on such Futures or debt
securities, it is possible that the market may decline; if the Fund then
concludes not to invest in such securities at that time because of
concerns as to possible further market decline or for other reasons, the
Fund will realize a loss on the Hedging Instruments that is not offset by
a reduction in the price of the debt securities purchased.
Other Investment Restrictions
The Fund's most significant investment restrictions are set forth in
the Prospectus. There are additional investment restrictions that the Fund
must follow that are also fundamental policies. Fundamental policies and
the Fund's investment objective cannot be changed without the vote of a
"majority" of the Fund's outstanding voting securities. Under the
Investment Company Act, such a "majority" vote is defined as the vote of
the holders of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the shares present or
represented by proxy at a shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than
50% of the outstanding shares are present, or (2) more than 50% of the
outstanding shares.
Under these additional restrictions, the Fund cannot:
-- invest in real estate, but this shall not prevent the Fund from
investing in Municipal Securities or other permitted securities secured
by real estate or interests therein;
-- purchase securities other than Hedging Instruments on margin;
however, the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary
for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities;
-- make short sales of securities;
-- underwrite securities or invest in securities subject to
restrictions on resale;
-- invest in or hold securities of any "issuer" (see
"Diversification," below) if officers and Trustees or Directors of the
Fund and the Manager individually owning more than 1/2 of 1% of the
securities of such issuer together own more than 5% of the securities of
such issuer; or
-- invest in securities of any other investment company, except in
connection with a merger with another investment company.
In connection with the qualification of its shares in certain states,
the Fund has undertaken that in addition to the above, as a non-
fundamental policy, it will not (1) invest more than 5% of its total
assets in securities of unseasoned issuers, including their predecessors,
which have been in operation for less than three years; (2) invest more
than 50% of its total assets in equity securities of issuers that are not
readily marketable; and (3) will not invest in interests in oil, gas, or
other mineral exploration or development programs.
- Diversification. For purposes of diversification under the
Investment Company Act and the restriction on investing in any "issuer"
above, the identification of the issuer of a Municipal Security depends
on the terms and conditions of the security. When the assets and revenues
of an agency, authority, instrumentality or other political subdivision
are separate from those of the government creating the subdivision and the
security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the subdivision,
such subdivision would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Similarly, in the
case of an industrial development bond, if that bond is backed only by the
assets and revenues of the nongovernmental user, then such nongovernmental
user would be deemed the sole issuer. However, if in either case the
creating government or some other entity guarantees a security, such a
guarantee would be considered a separate security and is to be treated as
an issue of such government or other agency.
In applying the Fund's policy not to concentrate its investments,
described in the Prospectus, the Manager will consider a nongovernmental
user of facilities financed by industrial development bonds as being in
a particular industry, despite the fact that such bonds are Municipal
Securities as to which there is no industry concentration limitation.
Although this application of the restriction is not technically a
fundamental policy under the Investment Company Act, it will not be
changed without shareholder approval. The Manager has no present
intention of investing more than 25% of the total assets of the Fund in
securities the interest on which is paid from revenues of similar types
of projects or in industrial development bonds. Neither of these are
fundamental policies, and therefore either of them may be changed without
shareholder approval. Should any such change be made, the Prospectus
and/or this Additional Statement will be supplemented to reflect the
change.
For purposes of the Fund's policy not to concentrate its assets
described in the Prospectus, the Fund has adopted the industry
classifications set forth in Appendix C to the Statement of Additional
Information. This is not a fundamental policy.
How the Fund Is Managed
Organization and History. As a Massachusetts business trust, the Fund is
not required to hold, and does not plan to hold, regular annual meetings
of shareholders. The Fund will hold meetings when required to do so by the
Investment Company Act or other applicable law, or when a shareholder
meeting is called by the Trustees or upon proper request of the
shareholders. Shareholders have the right, upon the declaration in
writing or vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Fund, to
remove a Trustee. The Trustees will call a meeting of shareholders to
vote on the removal of a Trustee upon the written request of the record
holders of 10% of its outstanding shares. In addition, if the Trustees
receive a request from at least 10 shareholders (who have been
shareholders for at least six months) holding shares of the Fund valued
at $25,000 or more or holding at least 1% of the Fund's outstanding
shares, whichever is less, stating that they wish to communicate with
other shareholders to request a meeting to remove a Trustee, the Trustees
will then either make the Fund's shareholder list available to the
applicants or mail their communication to all other shareholders at the
applicants' expense, or the Trustees may take such other action as set
forth under Section 16(c) of the Investment Company Act.
The Fund's Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of
shareholder or Trustee liability for the Fund's obligations, and provides
for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of its property for
any shareholder held personally liable for its obligations. The
Declaration of Trust also provides that the Fund shall, upon request,
assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act
or obligation of the Fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, while
Massachusetts law permits a shareholder of a business trust (such as the
Fund) to be held personally liable as a "partner" under certain
circumstances, the risk of a Fund shareholder incurring financial loss on
account of shareholder liability is limited to the relatively remote
circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations
described above. Any person doing business with the Trust, and any
shareholder of the Trust, agrees under the Trust's Declaration of Trust
to look solely to the assets of the Trust for satisfaction of any claim
or demand which may arise out of any dealings with the Trust, and the
Trustees shall have no personal liability to any such person, to the
extent permitted by law.
Trustees and Officers of the Fund. The Fund's Trustees and officers and
their principal occupations and business affiliations during the past five
years are listed below. The address of each Trustee and officer is Two
World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203, unless another address
is listed below. All of the Trustees are also trustees or directors of
Oppenheimer Fund, Oppenheimer Growth Fund, Oppenheimer Global Fund,
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc., Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust,
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund, Oppenheimer Discovery Fund,
Oppenheimer Target Fund, Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund, Oppenheimer
Global Emerging Growth Fund, Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund,
Oppenheimer Tax-Free Bond Fund, Oppenheimer New York Tax-Exempt Fund,
Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Tax-Exempt Fund, Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income
Trust and Oppenheimer Multi-Government Trust (collectively, the "New York-
based OppenheimerFunds). Messrs. Spiro, Donohue, Bowen, Zack, Bishop and
Farrar respectively, hold the same offices with the other New York-based
OppenheimerFunds as with the Fund. As of September 29, 1995, the Trustees
and officers of the Fund as a group owned of record or beneficially less
than 1% of each class of shares of the Fund. The foregoing statement does
not reflect ownership of shares held of record by an employee benefit plan
for employees of the Manager (for which plan one of the officers listed
below, Mr. Donohue, is a trustee), other than the shares beneficially
owned under the plan by the officers of the Fund listed above.
Leon Levy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Age 70
General Partner of Odyssey Partners, L.P. (investment partnership)
and Chairman of Avatar Holdings Inc. (real estate development).
Leo Cherne, Trustee; Age 83
122 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10168
Chairman Emeritus of the International Rescue Committee
(philanthropic organization); formerly Executive Director of The
Research Institute of America.
Robert G. Galli, Trustee; Age 62
Vice Chairman of the Manager and Vice President and Counsel of
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. ("OAC") the Manager's parent holding
company; formerly he held the following positions: a director of the
Manager and OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. (the "Distributor"),
Vice President and a director of HarbourView Asset Management
Corporation ("HarbourView") and Centennial Asset Management
Corporation ("Centennial"), investment adviser subsidiaries of the
Manager, a director of Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. ("SFSI")
and Shareholder Services, Inc. ("SSI"), transfer agent subsidiaries
of the Manager, an officer of other OppenheimerFunds and Executive
Vice President & General Counsel of the Manager and the Distributor.
Benjamin Lipstein, Trustee; Age 72
591 Breezy Hill Road, Hillsdale, New York 12529
Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Stern Graduate School of Business
Administration, New York University; Director of Sussex Publishers,
Inc. (Publishers of Psychology Today and Mother Earth News) and
Director of Spy Magazine, L.P.
Elizabeth B. Moynihan, Trustee; Age 66
801 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004
Author and architectural historian; a trustee of the Freer Gallery
of Art (Smithsonian Institution), the Institute of Fine Arts (New
York University), National Building Museum; a member of the Trustees
Council, the Preservation League of New York State; a member of the
Indo-U.S. Sub-Commission on Education and Culture.
Kenneth A. Randall, Trustee; Age 68
6 Whittaker's Mill, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
A director of Dominion Resources, Inc. (electric utility holding
company), Dominion Energy, Inc. (electric power and oil and gas
producer), Enron-Dominion Cogen Corp. (cogeneration company), Kemper
Corporation (insurance and financial services company), Fidelity Life
Association (mutual life insurance company); formerly Chairman of the
Board of ICL, Inc. (information systems), and President and Chief
Executive Officer of The Conference Board, Inc. (international
economic and business research).
Edward V. Regan, Trustee; Age 65
40 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016
President of Jerome Levy Economics Institute; a member of the U.S.
Competitiveness Policy Council; a director of GranCare, Inc. (health
care provider); formerly New York State Comptroller and a trustee,
New York State and Local Retirement Fund.
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr., Trustee; Age 63
200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166
Founder Chairman of Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. (executive
recruiting); Chairman of Directors Publication, Inc. (consulting and
publishing); a trustee of Mystic Seaport Museum, International House,
Greenwich Historical Society and Greenwich Hospital.
Sidney M. Robbins, Trustee; Age 83
50 Overlook Road, Ossining, New York 10562
Chase Manhattan Professor Emeritus of Financial Institutions,
Graduate School of Business, Columbia University; Visiting Professor
of Finance, University of Hawaii; a director of The Korea Fund, Inc.
(a closed-end investment company); a member of the Board of Advisors,
Olympus Private Placement Fund, L.P.; Professor Emeritus of Finance,
Adelphi University.
Donald W. Spiro, President and Trustee; Age 69
Chairman Emeritus and a director of the Manager; formerly Chairman
of the Manager and Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc. (the
"Distributor").
Pauline Trigere, Trustee; Age 82
498 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10018
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trigere, Inc. (design and
sale of women's fashions).
Clayton K. Yeutter, Trustee; Age 64
1325 Merrie Ridge Road, McLean, Virginia 22101
Of Counsel to Hogan & Hartson (a law firm); a director of B.A.T.
Industries, Ltd. (tobacco and financial services), Caterpillar, Inc.
(machinery), ConAgra, Inc. (food and agricultural products), Farmers
Insurance Company (insurance), FMC Corp. (chemicals and machinery),
Lindsay Manufacturing Co. (irrigation equipment), Texas Instruments,
Inc. (electronics) and the Vigoro Corporation (fertilizer
manufacturer); formerly (in descending chronological order)
Counsellor to the President (Bush) for Domestic Policy, Chairman of
the Republican National Committee, Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and U.S. Trade Representative.
Robert E. Patterson, Vice President and Portfolio Manager; Age 52
Senior Vice President of the Manager; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
Andrew J. Donohue, Secretary; Age 45
Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Oppenheimer
Management Corporation (the "Manager") and Oppenheimer Funds
Distributor, Inc. (the "Distributor"); an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds; formerly Senior Vice President and Associate
General Counsel of the Manager and the Distributor, partner in Kraft
& McManimon (a law firm), an officer of First Investors Corporation
(a broker-dealer) and First Investors Management Company, Inc.
(broker-dealer and investment adviser), director and an officer of
First Investors Family of Funds and First Investors Life Insurance
Company.
George C. Bowen, Treasurer; Age 59
3410 South Galena Street, Denver, Colorado 80231
Senior Vice President and Treasurer of the Manager; Vice President
and Treasurer of the Distributor and HarbourView; Senior Vice
President, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and a director of
Centennial; Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of SSI and SFSI;
an officer of other OppenheimerFunds.
Robert G. Zack, Assistant Secretary; Age 47
Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of the Manager;
Assistant Secretary of SSI, SFSI; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
Robert Bishop, Assistant Treasurer; Age 36
3410 South Galena Street, Denver, Colorado, 80231
Assistant Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting; an
officer of other OppenheimerFunds; previously a Fund Controller for
the Manager, prior to which he was an Accountant for Resolution Trust
Corporation and previously an Accountant and Commissions Supervisor
for Stuart James Company Inc., a broker-dealer.
Scott Farrar, Assistant Treasurer; Age 30
3410 South Galena Street, Denver, Colorado, 80231
Assistant Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting; an
officer of other OppenheimerFunds; previously a Fund Controller for
the Manager, prior to which he was an International Mutual Fund
Supervisor for Brown Brothers Harriman Co., a bank, and previously
a Senior Fund Accountant for State Street Bank & Trust Company.
- Remuneration of Trustees. The officers of the Fund are affiliated
with the Manager; they and the Trustees of the Fund who are affiliated
with the Manager (Messrs. Galli and Spiro; Mr. Spiro is also an officer)
receive no salary or fee from the Fund. The Trustees of the Fund
(including Mr. Delaney, a former Trustee, but excluding Messrs. Galli and
Spiro) received the total amounts shown below (i) from the Fund, during
its fiscal year ended December 31, 1994, and (ii) from all 16 of the New
York-based OppenheimerFunds (including the Fund) listed in the first
paragraph of this section (and from Oppenheimer Global Environment Fund,
Oppenheimer Time Fund and Oppenheimer Mortgage Income Fund, a former New
York-based OppenheimerFund), for services in the positions shown:
Aggregate Total Compensation
Compensation From All
Name and from New York-based
Position Fund OppenheimerFunds1
Leon Levy $9,151 $141,000.00
Chairman and
Trustee
Leo Cherne $4,467 $ 68,800.00
Audit Committee
Member and
Trustee
Benjamin Lipstein $5,595 $ 86,200.00
Study Committee
Member and Trustee
Elizabeth B. Moynihan $3,934 $ 60,625.00
Study Committee
Member2 and Trustee
Kenneth A. Randall $5,089 $ 78,400.00
Audit Committee
Member and Trustee
Edward V. Regan $3,650 $ 56,275.00
Audit Committee
Member2 and Trustee
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. $3,384 $ 52,100.00
Trustee
Sidney M. Robbins $7,929 $122,100.00
Study Committee
Chairman, Audit
Committee Vice-Chairman
and Trustee
Pauline Trigere $3,384 $ 52,100.00
Trustee
Clayton K. Yeutter $3,384 $ 52,100.00
Trustee
______________________
1 For the 1994 calendar year.
2 Committee position held during a portion of the period shown.
The Fund has adopted a retirement plan that provides for payment to
a retired Trustee of up to 80% of the average compensation paid during
that Trustee's five years of service in which the highest compensation was
received. A Trustee must serve in that capacity for any of the New York-
based OppenheimerFunds for at least 15 years to be eligible for the
maximum payment. Because each Trustee's retirement benefits will be depend
on the amount of the Trustee's future compensation and length of service,
the amount of those benefits cannot be determined at this time, nor can
the Fund estimate the number of years of credited service that will be
used to determine those benefits. No sums were accrued during the fiscal
year ended December 31, 1994 for the Fund's projected retirement benefit
obligations.
- Major Shareholders. As of April 23, 1995, no person owned of
record or was known by the Fund to own beneficially 5% or more shares of
the Fund as a whole or either class of the Fund's outstanding shares.
The Manager and Its Affiliates. The Manager is wholly-owned by
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. ("OAC"), a holding company controlled by
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. OAC is also owned in part
by certain of the Manager's directors and officers, some of whom may also
serve as officers of the Fund, and two of whom (Messrs. Galli and Spiro)
serve as Trustees of the Fund.
The Manager and the Fund have a Code of Ethics. It is designed to
detect and prevent improper personal trading by certain employees,
including portfolio managers, that would compete with or take advantage
of the Fund's portfolio transactions. Compliance with the Code of Ethics
is carefully monitored and strictly enforced.
- The Investment Advisory Agreement. The investment advisory
agreement between the Manager and the Fund requires the Manager, at its
expense, to provide the Fund with adequate office space, facilities and
equipment, and to provide and supervise the activities of all
administrative and
clerical personnel required to provide effective corporate administration
for the Fund, including the compilation and maintenance of records with
respect to its operations, the preparation and filing of specified
reports, and the composition of proxy materials and registration
statements for continuous public sale of shares of the Fund.
Expenses not expressly assumed by the Manager under the advisory
agreement or by the Distributor under the General Distributor's Agreement
are paid by the Fund. The advisory agreement lists examples of expenses
paid by the Fund, the major categories of which relate to interest, taxes,
fees to certain Trustees, legal and audit expenses, custodian and transfer
agent expenses, share issuance costs, certain printing and registration
costs, brokerage commissions, and non-recurring expenses, such as
litigation.
The advisory agreement contains no provision limiting the Fund's
expenses. However, independently of the advisory agreement, the Manager
has voluntarily undertaken that the total expenses of the Fund in any
fiscal year (including the management fee, but excluding taxes, interest,
brokerage commissions, distribution plan payments and extraordinary
expenses such as litigation costs) shall not exceed the most stringent
expense limitation imposed under state law applicable to the Fund.
Currently, the most stringent state expense limitation is imposed by
California, and limits the Fund's expenses (with specified exclusions) to
2.5% of the first $30 million of average annual net assets, 2% of the next
$70 million, and 1.5% of average annual net assets in excess of $100
million. The Manager reserves the right to terminate or amend the
undertaking at any time. Any assumption of the Fund's expenses under this
limitation would lower the Fund's overall expense ratio and increase its
total return during any period in which expenses are limited. Prior to
November 1, 1993, independently of the Agreement, the Manager had
undertaken to assume the Fund's expenses (exclusive of any non-recurring
expenses, such as litigation) to the extent required to maintain the
Fund's dividend rate at $.0498 per share every 28 days. Effective
November 1, 1993, the Manager terminated this undertaking.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 1992, 1993, and 1994 there
were no assumption of expenses, and the management fees were $1,044,275,
$1,467,574, and $1,560,360, respectively.
The advisory agreement provides that in the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard for its
obligations thereunder, the Manager is not liable for any loss sustained
by reason of any investment of Fund assets made with due care and in good
faith. The advisory agreement permits the Manager to act as investment
adviser for any other person, firm or corporation and to use the name
"Oppenheimer" in connection with one or more additional companies for
which it may act as investment adviser or general distributor. If the
Manager shall no longer act as investment adviser to the Fund, the right
of the Fund to use the name "Oppenheimer" as part of its name may be
withdrawn.
- The Distributor. Under its General Distributor's Agreement with
the Fund, the Distributor acts as the Fund's principal underwriter in the
continuous public offering of the Fund's Class A, Class B and Class C
shares, but is not obligated to sell a specific number of shares.
Expenses normally attributable to sales, (other than those paid under the
Distribution and Service Plan) but including advertising and the cost of
printing and mailing prospectuses other than those furnished to existing
shareholders, are borne by the Distributor. During the Fund's fiscal
years ended December 31, 1992, 1993, and 1994 the aggregate sales charges
on sales of the Fund's Class A shares were $1,863,832, $1,831,469, and
$999,822 respectively, of which the Distributor and an affiliated broker-
dealer retained $400,938, $368,898 and $193,221 in those respective years.
During the Fund's fiscal year ended December 31, 1994, the contingent
deferred sales charge on the Fund's Class B shares totaled $609,226, of
which $10,619 was paid to an affiliated broker-dealer. For additional
information about distribution of the Fund's shares and the expenses
connected with such activities, please refer to "Distribution and Service
Plans," below.
- The Transfer Agent. Oppenheimer Shareholder Services, the Fund's
Transfer Agent, is responsible for maintaining the Fund's shareholder
registry and shareholder accounting records, and for shareholder servicing
and administrative functions.
Brokerage Policies of the Fund
Brokerage Provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreement. One of the
duties of the Manager under the advisory agreement is to arrange the
portfolio transactions for the Fund. The advisory agreement contains
provisions relating to the employment of broker-dealers ("brokers") to
effect the Fund's portfolio transactions. In doing so, the Manager is
authorized by the advisory agreement to employ broker-dealers, including
"affiliated" brokers, as that term is defined in the Investment Company
Act, as may, in its best judgment based on all relevant factors,
implement the policy of the Fund to obtain, at reasonable expense, the
"best execution" (prompt and reliable execution at the most favorable
price obtainable) of such transactions. The Manager need not seek
competitive commission bidding but is expected to minimize the commissions
paid to the extent consistent with the interest and policies of the Fund
as established by its Board of Trustees. Purchases of securities from
underwriters include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the
underwriter, and purchases from dealers include a spread between the bid
and the asked price.
Under the advisory agreement, the Manager is authorized to select
brokers that provide brokerage and/or research services for the Fund
and/or the other accounts over which the Manager or its affiliates have
investment discretion. The commissions paid to such brokers may be higher
than another qualified broker would have charged if a good faith
determination is made by the Manager that the commission is fair and
reasonable in relation to the services provided. Subject to the foregoing
considerations, the Manager may also consider sales of shares of the Fund
and other investment companies managed by the Manager or its affiliates
as a factor in the selection of brokers for the Fund's portfolio
transactions.
Description of Brokerage Practices Followed by the Manager. Subject to
the provisions of the advisory agreement and the procedures and rules
described above, allocations of brokerage are generally made by the
Manager's portfolio traders based upon recommendations from the Manager's
portfolio managers. In certain instances, portfolio managers may directly
place trades and allocate brokerage, also subject to the provisions of the
advisory agreement and the procedures and rules described above.
Regardless, brokerage is allocated under the supervision of the Manager's
executive officers. As most purchases made by the Fund are principal
transactions at net prices, the Fund incurs little or no brokerage costs.
The Fund usually deals directly with the selling or purchasing principal
or market maker without incurring charges for the services of a broker on
its behalf unless it is determined that better price or execution may be
obtained by utilizing the services of a broker. Purchases of portfolio
securities from underwriters include a commission or concession paid by
the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers include a spread
between the bid and asked price. The Fund seeks to obtain prompt
execution of orders at the most favorable net price. When the Fund
engages in an option transaction, ordinarily the same broker will be used
for the purchase or sale of the option and any transaction in the
securities to which the option relates. When possible, concurrent orders
to purchase or sell the same security by more than one of the accounts
managed by the Manager or its affiliates are combined. The transactions
effected pursuant to such combined orders are averaged as to price and
allocated in accordance with the purchase or sale orders actually placed
for each account.
The research services provided by a particular broker may be useful
only to one or more of the advisory accounts of the Manager and its
affiliates, and investment research received for the commissions of those
other accounts may be useful both to the Fund and one or more of such
other accounts. Such research, which may be supplied by a third party at
the instance of a broker, includes information and analyses on particular
companies and industries as well as market or economic trends and
portfolio strategy, receipt of market quotations for portfolio
evaluations, information systems, computer hardware and similar products
and services. If a research service also assists the Manager in a non-
research capacity (such as bookkeeping or other administrative functions),
then only the percentage or component that provides assistance to the
Manager in the investment decision-making process may be paid in
commission dollars. The Board has also permitted the Manager to use
stated commissions on secondary fixed-income agency trades to obtain
research where the broker has represented to Manager that: (i) the trade
is not from or for the broker's own inventory, (ii) the trade was executed
by the broker on an agency basis at the stated commission, and (iii) the
trade is not a riskless principal transaction.
The research services provided by brokers broadens the scope and
supplement the research activities of the Manager, by making available
additional views for consideration and comparisons, and by enabling the
Manager to obtain market information for the valuation of securities held
in the Fund's portfolio or being considered for purchase. The Board of
Trustees, including the "independent" Trustees of the Fund (those Trustees
of the Fund who are not "interested persons" as defined in the Investment
Company Act, and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the
operation of the advisory agreement or the Distribution Plans described
below) annually reviews information furnished by the Manager as to the
commissions paid to brokers furnishing such services so that the Board may
ascertain whether the amount of such commissions was reasonably related
to the value or benefit of such services.
Performance of the Fund
Yield and Total Return Information. As described in the Prospectus,
from time to time the "standardized yield," "dividend yield," "average
annual total return", "cumulative total return," and "cumulative total
return at net asset value" of an investment in a class of shares of the
Fund may be advertised. An explanation of how yields and total returns
are calculated for each class and the components of those calculations is
set forth below. No total return and yield calculations are presented
below for Class C because no shares of that Class were publicly issued
during the Fund's fiscal year ended December 31, 1994.
The Fund's advertisements of its performance data must, under
applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, include the
average annual total returns for each class of shares of the Fund for the
1, 5, and 10-year periods (or the life of the class, if less) ending as
of the most recently-ended calendar quarter prior to the publication of
the advertisement. This enables an investor to compare the Fund's
performance to the performance of other funds for the same periods.
However, a number of factors should be considered before using such
information as a basis for comparison with other investments. An
investment in the Fund is not insured; its returns and share prices are
not guaranteed and normally will fluctuate on a daily basis. When
redeemed, an investor's shares may be worth more or less than their
original cost. Returns for any given past period are not a prediction or
representation by the Fund of future returns. The returns of Class A,
Class B and Class C shares of the Fund are affected by portfolio quality,
portfolio maturity, the type of investments the Fund holds and its
operating expenses allocated to the particular class.
- Standardized Yields
- Yield. The Fund's "yield" (referred to as "standardized yield")
for a given 30-day period for a class of shares is calculated using the
following formula set forth in rules adopted by the Securities and
Exchange Commission that apply to all funds that quote yields:
The symbols above represent the following factors:
a-b 6
Standardized Yield = 2 ((------ + 1) - 1)
cd
a = dividends and interest earned during the 30-day period.
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of any expense
reimbursements).
c = the average daily number of shares of that class outstanding
during the 30-day period that were entitled to receive
dividends.
d = the maximum offering price per share of that class on the last
day of the period, adjusted for undistributed net investment
income.
The standardized yield of a class of shares for a 30-day period may
differ from its yield for any other period. The SEC formula assumes that
the standardized yield for a 30-day period occurs at a constant rate for
a six-month period and is annualized at the end of the six-month period.
This standardized yield is not based on actual distributions paid by the
Fund to shareholders in the 30-day period, but is a hypothetical yield
based upon the net investment income from the Fund's portfolio investments
calculated for that period. The standardized yield may differ from the
"dividend yield" of that class, described below. Additionally, because
each class of shares is subject to different expenses, it is likely that
the standardized yields of the Fund's classes of shares will differ. For
the 30-day period ended December 31, 1994, the standardized yields for the
Fund's Class A and Class B shares were 5.74% and 5.28%, respectively.
- Tax-Equivalent Yield. The "tax-equivalent yield" of a class of
shares adjusts the Fund's current yield, as calculated above, by a stated
combined Federal, state and city tax rate. The tax equivalent yield is
based on a 30-day period, and is computed by dividing the tax-exempt
portion of the Fund's current yield (as calculated above) by one minus a
stated income tax rate and adding the result to the portion (if any) of
the Fund's current yield that is not tax exempt. The tax equivalent yield
may be used to compare the tax effects of income derived from the Fund
with income from taxable investments at the tax rates stated. Appendix
B includes a tax equivalent yield table, based on various effective tax
brackets for individual taxpayers. Such tax brackets are determined by
a taxpayer's Federal and state taxable income (the net amount subject to
Federal, state and city income taxes after deductions and exemptions).
The tax equivalent yield table assumes that the investor is taxed at the
highest bracket, regardless of whether a switch to non-taxable investments
would cause a lower bracket to apply and that state income tax payments
are fully deductible for income tax purposes. For taxpayers with income
above certain levels, otherwise allowable itemized deductions are limited.
The Fund's tax-equivalent yield (after expense assumptions by the Manager)
for its Class A and Class B shares for the 30-day period ended
December 31, 1994, for an investor in the California/Federal 46.24%
effective tax bracket were 10.68% and 9.82%, respectively.
- Dividend Yield and Distribution Return. From time to time the Fund
may quote a "dividend yield" or a "distribution return" for each class.
Dividend yield is based on the Class A, Class B or Class C share dividends
derived from net investment income during a stated period. Distribution
return includes dividends derived from net investment income and from
realized capital gains declared during a stated period. Under those
calculations, the dividends and/or distributions for that class declared
during a stated period of one year or less (for example, 30 days) are
added together, and the sum is divided by the maximum offering price per
share of that class on the last day of the period. When the result is
annualized for a period of less than one year, the "dividend yield" is
calculated as follows:
Dividend Yield of the Class =
Dividends of the Class
- ----------------------------------------------------
Max Offering Price of the Class (last day of period)
Divided by number of days (accrual period) x 365
The maximum offering price for Class A shares includes the maximum
front-end sales charge. For Class B and Class C shares, the maximum
offering price is the net asset value per share, without considering the
effect of contingent deferred sales charges.
From time to time similar yield or distribution return calculations
may also be made using the Class A net asset value (instead of its
respective maximum offering price) at the end of the period. The dividend
yields on Class A shares for the 30-day period ended December 31, 1994,
were 6.31% and 6.63% when calculated at maximum offering price and at net
asset value, respectively. The dividend yield on Class B shares for the
30-day period ended December 31, 1994, was 5.86% when calculated at net
asset value.
- Total Return Information
- Average Annual Total Returns. The "average annual total return"
of each class is an average annual compounded rate of return for each year
in a specified number of years. It is the rate of return based on the
change in value of a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ("P" in the
formula below) held for a number of years ("n") to achieve an Ending
Redeemable Value ("ERV") of that investment, according to the following
formula:
( ERV ) 1/n
(-----) -1 = Average Annual Total Return
( P )
- Cumulative Total Returns. The cumulative "total return" calculation
measures the change in value of a hypothetical investment of $1,000 over
an entire period of years. Its calculation uses some of the same factors
as average annual total return, but it does not average the rate of return
on an annual basis. Cumulative total return is determined as follows:
ERV - P
- ------- = Total Return
P
In calculating total returns for Class A shares, the current maximum
sales charge of 4.75% (as a percentage of the offering price) is deducted
from the initial investment ("P") (unless the return is shown at net asset
value, as described below). For Class B shares, payment of contingent
deferred sales charge of 5.0% for the first year, 4.0% for the second
year, 3.0% for the third and fourth years, 2.0% for the fifth year, and
1.0% for the sixth year, and none thereafter is applied, as described in
the Prospectus. Total returns also assume that all dividends and capital
gains distributions during the period are reinvested to buy additional
shares at net asset value per share, and that the investment is redeemed
at the end of the period. The average annual total returns on an
investment in Class A shares of the Fund for the one and five year periods
ended December 31, 1994 and for the period from November 3, 1988
(commencement of operations) to December 31, 1994, were -12.83%, 4.75% and
5.95%, respectively. The cumulative "total return" on Class A shares for
the latter period was 42.79%. The average annual total return on an
investment in Class B shares for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1994
and for the period May 1, 1993 (inception of class) to December 31, 1994
were -13.69% and -6.88%. For the fiscal period from May 1, 1993, through
December 31, 1994, the cumulative total return on an investment in Class
B shares of the Fund was -4.19%.
- Total Returns At Net Asset Value. From time to time the Fund may
also quote an average annual total return at net asset value or a
cumulative total return at net asset value for Class A, Class B or Class
C shares. Each is based on the difference in net asset value per share
at the beginning and the end of the period for a hypothetical investment
in that class of shares (without considering front-end or contingent
deferred sales charges) and takes into consideration the reinvestment of
dividends and capital gains distributions. The cumulative total returns
at net asset value on the Fund's Class A shares for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1994 and for the period from November 3, 1988 (commencement
of operations) through December 31, 1994 were -8.49% and 49.92%,
respectively. The cumulative total return at net asset value on the
Fund's Class B shares for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1994 and for
the period from May 3, 1993 (commencement of operations) through December
31, 1994 were -9.39% and -3.36%, respectively.
Total return information may be useful to investors in reviewing the
performance of the Fund's Class A, Class B or Class C shares. However,
when comparing total return of an investment in Class A, Class B or Class
C shares of the Fund, a number of factors should be considered before
using such information as a basis for comparison before using such
information as a basis for comparison with other investments.
- Other Performance Comparisons. From time to time the Fund may
publish the ranking of its Class A or Class B shares by Lipper Analytical
Services, Inc. ("Lipper"), a widely-recognized independent mutual fund
monitoring service. Lipper monitors the performance of regulated
investment companies, including the Fund, and ranks their performance for
various periods based on categories relating to investment objectives.
The performance of the Fund is ranked against (i) all other funds,
excluding money market funds, and (ii) all other California municipal bond
funds. The Lipper performance rankings are based on total returns that
include the reinvestment of capital gains distributions and income
dividends but do not take sales charges or taxes into consideration.
From time to time the Fund may include in its advertisements and
sales literature performance information about the Fund cited in other
newspapers and periodicals such as The New York Times, which may include
performance quotations from other sources, including Lipper and
Morningstar.
From time to time the Fund may publish the ranking of the performance
of its Class A, Class B or Class C shares by Morningstar, Inc., an
independent mutual fund monitoring service that ranks mutual funds,
including the Fund, monthly in broad investment categories (equity,
taxable bond, municipal bond and hybrid) based on risk-adjusted investment
return. Investment return measures fund's three, five and ten-year
average annual total returns (when available). Risk reflects fund
performance below 90-day U.S. Treasury bill monthly returns. Risk and
return are combined to produce star rankings reflecting performance
relative to the average fund in a fund's category. Five stars is the
"highest" ranking (top 10%), four stars is "above average" (next 22.5%),
three stars is "average" (next 35%), two stars is "below average" (next
22.5%) and one star is "lowest" (bottom 10%). Morningstar ranks the Fund
in relation to other rated municipal bond funds.
Investors may also wish to compare the Fund's Class A, Class B or
Class C return to the returns on fixed income investments available from
banks and thrift institutions, such as certificates of deposit, ordinary
interest-paying checking and savings accounts, and other forms of fixed
or variable time deposits, and various other instruments such as Treasury
bills. However, the Fund's returns and share price are not guaranteed by
the FDIC or any other agency and will fluctuate daily, while bank
depository obligations may be insured by the FDIC and may provide fixed
rates of return, and Treasury bills are guaranteed as to principal and
interest by the U.S. government. When redeemed, an investor's shares may
be worth more or less than their original cost. Returns for any given past
period are not a prediction or representation by the Fund of future
returns. The returns of Class A, Class B and Class C shares of the Fund
are affected by portfolio quality, the type of investments the Fund holds
and its operating expenses allocated to a particular class.
Distribution and Service Plans
The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for Class A shares and
Distribution and Service Plans for Class B and Class C shares under Rule
12b-1 of the Investment Company Act pursuant to which the Fund will make
payments to the Distributor for all or a portion of its costs incurred in
connection with the distribution and/or servicing of the shares of that
class as described in the Prospectus. Each Plan has been approved by a
vote of (i) the Board of Trustees of the Fund, including a majority of the
Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose
of voting on that Plan, and (ii) the holders of a "majority" (as defined
in the Investment Company Act) of the shares of each class. For the
Distribution and Service Plan for Class C shares, that vote was cast by
the Manager as the sole initial holder of Class C shares.
In addition, under the Plans the Manager and the Distributor, in
their sole discretion from time to time may use their own resources
(which, in the case of the Manager, may include profits from the advisory
fee it receives from the Fund) to make payments to brokers, dealers or
other financial institutions (each is referred to as a "Recipient" under
the Plans) for distribution and administrative services they perform at
no cost to the Fund. The Distributor and the Manager may, in their sole
discretion, increase or decrease the amount of payments they make from
their own resources to Recipients.
Unless terminated as described below, each Plan continues in effect
from year to year but only as long as its continuance is specifically
approved at least annually by the Fund's Board of Trustees and its
Independent Trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such continuance. Any Plan may be terminated at any
time by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote
of the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act)
of the outstanding shares of that class. No Plan may be amended to
increase materially the amount of payments to be made unless such
amendment is approved by shareholders of the class affected by the
amendment. In addition, because Class B shares of the Fund automatically
convert into Class A shares after six years, the Fund is required to
obtain the approval of Class B as well as Class A shareholders for a
proposed amendment to the Class A Plan that would materially increase the
amount to be paid by Class A shareholders under the Class A Plan. Such
approval must be by a "majority" of the Class A and Class B shares (as
defined in the Investment Company Act), voting separately by class. All
material amendments must be approved by the Independent Trustees.
While the Plans are in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall
provide separate written reports to the Fund's Board of Trustees at least
quarterly on the amount of all payments made pursuant to each Plan, the
purpose for which the payment was made and the identity of each Recipient
that received any such payment. The report for the Class B Plan shall
also include the Distributor's distribution costs for that quarter, and
such costs for previous fiscal periods that have been carried forward, as
explained in the Prospectus and below. Those reports, including the
allocations on which they are based, will be subject to the review and
approval of the Independent Trustees in the exercise of their fiduciary
duty. Each Plan further provides that while it is in effect, the
selection and nomination of those Trustees of the Fund who are not
"interested persons" of the Fund is committed to the discretion of the
Independent Trustees. This does not prevent the involvement of others in
such selection and nomination if the final decision on selection or
nomination is approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees.
Under the Plans, no payment will be made to any Recipient in any
quarter if the aggregate net asset value of all Fund shares held by the
Recipient for itself and its customers did not exceed a minimum amount,
if any, that may be determined from time to time by a majority of the
Fund's Independent Trustees. Initially, the Board of Trustees has set the
fees at the maximum rate allowed under the Plans and set no minimum
amount.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1994, payments under the Plan
for Class A shares totaled $611,139, all of which was paid by the
Distributor to Recipients, including $19,407 paid to an affiliate of the
Distributor. Any unreimbursed expenses by the Distributor incurred with
respect to Class A shares for any fiscal year by the Distributor may not
be recovered in subsequent fiscal years. Payments received by the
Distributor under the Plan for Class A shares will not be used to pay any
interest expense, carrying charges, or other financial costs, or
allocation of overhead by the Distributor.
The Class B and Class C Plans allow the service fee payment to be
paid by the Distributor to Recipients in advance for the first year such
shares are outstanding, and thereafter on a quarterly basis, as described
in the Prospectus. The advance payment is based on the net assets of
shares sold. An exchange of shares does not entitle the Recipient to an
advance service fee payment. In the event shares are redeemed during the
first year such shares are outstanding, the Recipient will be obligated
to repay a pro rata portion of such advance payment to the Distributor.
Payments made under the Class B Plan for the fiscal year ended December
31, 1994, totalled $165,277, of which $157,962 was retained by the
Distributor. Since no Class C shares were outstanding during the Fund's
fiscal year ended December 31, 1994, no payments were made under the Class
C Plan.
Although the Class B and Class C Plans permit the Distributor to
retain both the asset-based sales charges and the service fee on such
shares, or to pay Recipients the service fee on a quarterly basis, without
payment in advance, the Distributor presently intends to pay the service
fee to Recipients in the manner described above. A minimum holding period
may be established from time to time under the Class B and the Class C
Plans by the Board. Initially, the Board has set no minimum holding
period. All payments under the Class B plan are subject to the
limitations imposed by the Rules of Fair Practice of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. on payments of asset-based sales
charges and service fees.
The Class B and Class C Plans provide for the Distributor to be
compensated at a flat rate, whether the Distributor's distribution
expenses are more or less than the amounts paid by the Fund during that
period. Such payments are made in recognition that the Distributor (i)
pays sales commissions to authorized brokers and dealers at the time of
sale and pays service fees as described in the Prospectus, (ii) may
finance such commissions and/or the advance of the service fee payment to
Recipients under those Plans, or may provide such financing from its own
resources or from an affiliate, (iii) employs personnel to support
distribution of shares, and (iv) may bear the costs of sales literature,
advertising and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current
shareholders) and state "blue sky" registration fees and certain other
distribution expenses.
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
How To Buy Shares
Alternative Sales Arrangements - Class A, Class B and Class C Shares. The
availability of two classes of shares permits an investor to choose the
method of purchasing shares that is more beneficial to the investor
depending on the amount of the purchase, the length of time the investor
expects to hold shares and other relevant circumstances. Investors should
understand that the purpose and function of the deferred sales charge and
asset-based sales charge with respect to Class B and Class C shares are
the same as those of the initial sales charge with respect to Class A
shares. Any salesperson or other person entitled to receive compensation
for selling Fund shares may receive different compensation with respect
to one class of shares than the other. The Distributor will not accept
any order for $500,000 or more of Class B shares or $1 million or more of
Class C shares on behalf of a single investor (not including dealer
"street name" or omnibus accounts) because generally it will be more
advantageous for that investor to purchase Class A shares of the Fund
instead.
The three classes of shares each represent an interest in the same
portfolio investments of the Fund. However, each class has different
shareholder privileges and features. The net income attributable to Class
B and Class C shares and the dividends payable on Class B and Class C
shares will be reduced by incremental expenses borne solely by that class,
including the asset-based sales charge to which Class B and Class C shares
are subject.
The conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares after six years
is subject to the continuing availability of a private letter ruling from
the Internal Revenue Service, or an opinion of counsel or tax adviser, to
the effect that the conversion of Class B shares does not constitute a
taxable event for the holder under Federal income tax law. If such a
revenue ruling or opinion is no longer available, the automatic conversion
feature may be suspended, in which event no further conversions of Class
B shares would occur while such suspension remained in effect. Although
Class B shares could then be exchanged for Class A shares on the basis of
relative net asset value of the two classes, without the imposition of a
sales charge or fee, such exchange could constitute a taxable event for
the holder, and absent such exchange, Class B shares might continue to be
subject to the asset-based sales charge for longer than six years.
The methodology for calculating the net asset value, dividends and
distributions of the Fund's Class A, Class B and Class C shares recognizes
two types of expenses. General expenses that do not pertain specifically
to any class are allocated pro rata to the shares of each class, based on
the percentage of the net assets of such class to the Fund's total net
assets, and then equally to each outstanding share within a given class.
Such general expenses include (i) management fees, (ii) legal, bookkeeping
and audit fees, (iii) printing and mailing costs of shareholder reports,
Prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information and other materials for
current shareholders, (iv) fees to Independent Trustees, (v) custodian
expenses, (vi) share issuance costs, (vii) organization and start-up
costs, (viii) interest, taxes and brokerage commissions, and (ix) non-
recurring expenses, such as litigation costs. Other expenses that are
directly attributable to a class are allocated equally to each outstanding
share within that class. Such expenses include (i) Distribution Plan
fees, (ii) incremental transfer and shareholder servicing agent fees and
expenses, (iii) registration fees and (iv) shareholder meeting expenses,
to the extent that such expenses pertain to a specific class rather than
to the Fund as a whole.
Determination of Net Asset Value Per Share. The net asset values per
share of Class A, Class B and Class C shares of the Fund are determined
as of the close of business of The New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange") on each day the Exchange is open, by dividing the value of the
Fund's net assets attributable to a class by the number of shares of that
class that are outstanding. The Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M.,
New York time, but may close earlier on some days (for example, in case
of weather emergencies or on days falling before a holiday). The
Exchange's most recent annual holiday schedule (which is subject to
change) states that it will close on New Year's Day, Presidents' Day, Good
Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas Day. It may also close on other days. Dealers other than
Exchange members may conduct trading in Municipal Securities on certain
days on which the Exchange is closed (including weekends and holidays) or
after 4:00 P.M. on a regular business day. Because the Fund's net asset
value will not be calculated on those days, the Fund's net asset value per
share of each class may be significantly affected at times when
shareholders may not purchase or redeem shares.
The Fund's Board of Trustees has established procedures for the
valuation of the Fund's securities, generally as follows: (i) long-term
debt securities, and short-term debt securities having a remaining
maturity in excess of 60 days, are valued at the mean between the bid and
asked prices determined by a portfolio pricing service approved by the
Fund's Board or obtained from active market makers in the security on the
basis of reasonable inquiry; (ii) long-term debt securities having a
remaining maturity in excess of 60 days are valued at the mean between the
"bid" and "asked" prices determined by a portfolio pricing service
approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees or obtained from active market
makers in the security on the basis of reasonable inquiry; (iii) debt
instruments having a maturity of more than one year when issued, and non-
money market type instruments having a maturity of one year or less when
issued, which have a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued at
the mean between the "bid" and "asked" prices determined by a pricing
service approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees or obtained from active
market makers in the security on the basis of reasonable inquiry; (iv)
money market-type debt securities having a maturity of less than one year
when issued that having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued
at cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts;
and (v) securities (including restricted securities) not having readily-
available market quotations are valued at fair value under the Board's
procedures.
In the case of Municipal Securities, when last sale information is
not generally available, such pricing procedures may include "matrix"
comparisons to the prices for comparable instruments on the basis of
quality, yield, maturity, and other special factors involved (such as the
tax-exempt status of the interest paid by Municipal Securities). The
Fund's Board of Trustees has authorized the Manager to employ a pricing
service, bank or broker-dealer experienced in such matters to price any
of the types of securities described above. The Trustees will monitor the
accuracy of such pricing services by comparing prices used for portfolio
evaluation to actual sales prices of selected securities.
Puts, calls, Interest Rate Futures and Municipal Bond Index Futures
are valued at the last sales price on the principal exchange on which they
are traded. If there were no sales on the principal exchange, the last
sale on any exchange is used. In the absence of any sales that day, value
shall be the last reported sales price on the prior trading day or closing
bid or asked prices on the principal exchange closest to the last reported
sales price. When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the
premium received is included in the Fund's Statement of Assets and
Liabilities as an asset, and an equivalent deferred credit is included in
the liability section. The deferred credit is adjusted ("marked-to-
market") to reflect the current market value of the call.
AccountLink. When shares are purchased through AccountLink, each purchase
must be at least $25.00. Shares will be purchased on the regular business
day the Distributor is instructed to initiate the Automated Clearing House
transfer to buy the shares. Dividends will begin to accrue on shares
purchased by the proceeds of ACH transfers on the business day the Fund
receives Federal Funds for the purchase through the ACH system before the
close of the New York Stock Exchange. The Exchange normally closes at
4:00 P.M., but may close earlier on certain days. If Federal Funds are
received after the close of the Exchange, the shares will begin to accrue
dividends on the next regular business day. The proceeds of ACH transfers
are normally received by the Fund 3 days after the transfers are
initiated. The Distributor and the Fund are not responsible for any
delays in purchasing shares from delays in ACH transmissions.
Reduced Sales Charges. As discussed in the Prospectus, a reduced sales
charge rate may be obtained for Class A shares under Right of Accumulation
and Letters of Intent because of the economies of sales efforts and
reduction in expenses realized by the Distributor, dealers and brokers
making such sales. No sales charge is imposed in certain other
circumstances described in the Prospectus because the Distributor incurs
little or no selling expenses. The term "immediate family" refers to
one's spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, parents-in-
law, sons-and daughters-in-law, siblings, a spouse's siblings and a
sibling's spouse.
- The OppenheimerFunds. The OppenheimerFunds are those mutual funds
for which the Distributor acts as the distributor or the sub-Distributor
and include the following:
Oppenheimer Tax-Free Bond Fund
Oppenheimer New York Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Intermediate Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Insured Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street California Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Florida Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund
Oppenheimer Target Fund
Oppenheimer Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund
Oppenheimer Value Stock Fund
Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund
Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Main Street Income & Growth Fund
Oppenheimer New Jersey Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund
Oppenheimer Bond Fund
Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund
Oppenheimer Global Fund
Oppenheimer Global Emerging Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Investment Grade Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Short-Term Income Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Income & Growth Fund
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund
and the following "Money Market Funds":
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves
Centennial Money Market Trust
Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Government Trust
Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial America Fund, L.P.
Daily Cash Accumulation Fund, Inc.
There is an initial sales charge on the purchase of Class A shares
of each of the OppenheimerFunds except Money Market Funds (under certain
circumstances described herein, redemption proceeds of Money Market Fund
shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge).
- Letters of Intent. A Letter of Intent (referred to as a "Letter")
is an investor's statement in writing to the Distributor of the intention
to purchase Class A shares or Class A and Class B shares of the Fund (and
other OppenheimerFunds) during a 13-month period (the "Letter of Intend
period"), which may, at the investor's request, include purchases made up
to 90 days prior to the date of the Letter. The Letter states the
investor's intention to make the aggregate amount of purchases of shares
which, when added to the investor's holdings of shares of those funds,
will equal or exceed the amount specified in the Letter. Purchases made
by reinvestment of dividends or distributions of capital gains and
purchases made at net asset value without sales charge do not count toward
satisfying the amount of the Letter. A Letter enables an investor to
count the Class A and Class B shares purchased under the Letter to obtain
the reduced sales charge rate on purchases of Class A shares of the Fund
(and other OppenheimerFunds) that applies under the Right of Accumulation
to current purchases of Class A shares. This enables the investor to
obtain the reduced sales charge rate (as set forth in the Prospectus)
applicable to purchases of shares in that amount (the "intended purchase
amount"). Each purchase under the Letter will be made at the public
offering price applicable to a single lump-sum purchase of shares in the
intended purchase amount, as described in the Prospectus.
In submitting a Letter, the investor makes no commitment to purchase
shares, but if the investor's purchases of shares within the Letter of
Intent period, when added to the value (at offering price) of the
investor's holdings of shares on the last day of that period, do not equal
or exceed the intended purchase amount, the investor agrees to pay the
additional amount of sales charge applicable to such purchases, as set
forth in "Terms of Escrow," below (as those terms may be amended from time
to time). The investor agrees that shares equal in value to 5% of the
intended purchase amount will be held in escrow by the Transfer Agent
subject to the Terms of Escrow. Also, the investor agrees to be bound by
the terms of the Prospectus, this Statement of Additional Information and
the Application used for such Letter of Intent, and if such terms are
amended, as they may be from time to time by the Fund, that those
amendments will apply automatically to existing Letters of Intent.
If the total eligible purchases made during the Letter of Intent
period do not equal or exceed the intended purchase amount, the
commissions previously paid to the dealer of record for the account and
the amount of sales charge retained by the Distributor will be adjusted
to the rates applicable to actual purchases. If total eligible purchases
during the Letter of Intent period exceed the intended amount and exceed
the purchase amount needed to qualify for the next sales charge rate
reduction set forth in the applicable prospectus, the sales charges paid
will be adjusted to the lower rate, but only if and when the dealer
returns to the Distributor the excess of the amount of commissions allowed
or paid to the dealer over the amount of commissions that apply to the
actual amount of purchases. The excess commissions returned to the
Distributor will be used to purchase additional shares for the investor's
account at the net asset value per share in effect on the date of such
purchase, promptly after the Distributor's receipt thereof.
In determining the total amount of purchases made under a Letter,
shares redeemed by the investor prior to the termination of the Letter of
Intent period will be deducted. It is the responsibility of the dealer
of record and/or the investor to advise the Distributor about the Letter
in placing any purchase orders for the investor during the Letter of
Intent period. All of such purchases must be made through the
Distributor.
- Terms of Escrow That Apply to Letters of Intent.
1. Out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if necessary)
made pursuant to a Letter, shares of the Fund equal in value to 5% of the
intended purchase amount specified in the Letter shall be held in escrow
by the Transfer Agent. For example, if the intended purchase amount is
$50,000, the escrow shall be shares valued in the amount of $2,500
(computed at the public offering price adjusted for a $50,000 purchase).
Any dividends and capital gains distributions on the escrowed shares will
be credited to the investor's account.
2. If the intended purchase amount specified under the Letter is
completed within the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period, the escrowed
shares will be promptly released to the investor.
3. If, at the end of the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period the
total purchases pursuant to the Letter are less than the intended purchase
amount specified in the Letter, the investor must remit to the Distributor
an amount equal to the difference between the dollar amount of sales
charges actually paid and the amount of sales charges which would have
been paid if the total amount purchased had been made at a single time.
Such sales charge adjustment will apply to any shares redeemed prior to
the completion of the Letter. If such difference in sales charges is not
paid within twenty days after a request from the Distributor or the
dealer, the Distributor will, within sixty days of the expiration of the
Letter, redeem the number of escrowed shares necessary to realize such
difference in sales charges. Full and fractional shares remaining after
such redemption will be released from escrow. If a request is received
to redeem escrowed shares prior to the payment of such additional sales
charge, the sales charge will be withheld from the redemption proceeds.
4. By signing the Letter, the investor irrevocably constitutes and
appoints the Transfer Agent as attorney-in-fact to surrender for
redemption any or all escrowed shares.
5. The shares eligible for purchase under the Letter (or the holding
of which may be counted toward completion of a Letter) include (a) Class
A shares sold with a front-end sales charge or subject to a Class A
contingent deferred sales charge, (b) Class B shares acquired subject to
a contingent deferred sales charge, and (c) Class A or B shares acquired
in exchange for either (i) Class A shares of one of the other
OppenheimerFunds that were acquired subject to a Class A initial or
contingent deferred sales charge or (ii) Class B shares of one of the
other OppenheimerFunds that were acquired subject to a contingent deferred
sales charge.
6. Shares held in escrow hereunder will automatically be exchanged
for shares of another fund to which an exchange is requested, as described
in the section of the Prospectus entitled "How to Exchange Shares," and
the escrow will be transferred to that other fund.
Asset Builder Plans. To establish an Asset Builder Plan from a bank
account, a check (minimum $25) for the initial purchase must accompany the
application. Shares purchased by Asset Builder Plan payments from bank
accounts are subject to the redemption restrictions for recent purchases
described in "How To Sell Shares," in the Prospectus. Asset Builder Plans
also enable shareholders of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves to use those
accounts for monthly automatic purchases of shares of up to four other
OppenheimerFunds.
There is a front-end sales charge on the purchase of certain
OppenheimerFunds, or a contingent deferred sales charge may apply to
shares purchased by Asset Builder payments. An application should be
obtained from the Distributor, completed and returned, and a prospectus
of the selected fund(s) (available from the Distributor) or your financial
adviser before initiating Asset Builder payments. The amount of the Asset
Builder investment may be changed or the automatic investments may be
terminated at any time by writing to the Transfer Agent. A reasonable
period (approximately 15 days) is required after the Transfer Agent's
receipt of such instructions to implement them. The Fund reserves the
right to amend, suspend, or discontinue offering such plans at any time
without prior notice.
Cancellation of Purchase Orders. Cancellation of purchase orders for the
Fund's shares (for example, when a purchase check is returned to the Fund
unpaid) causes a loss to be incurred when the net asset value of the
Fund's shares on the cancellation date is less than on the purchase date.
That loss is equal to the amount of the decline in the net asset value per
share multiplied by the number of shares in the purchase order. The
investor is responsible for that loss. If the investor fails to
compensate the Fund for the loss, the Distributor will do so. The Fund
may reimburse the Distributor for that amount by redeeming shares from any
account registered in that investor's name, or the Fund or the Distributor
may seek other redress.
Checkwriting. When a check is presented to the Bank for clearance, the
Bank will ask the Fund to redeem a sufficient number of full and
fractional shares in the shareholder's account to cover the amount of the
check. This enables the shareholder to continue receiving dividends on
those shares until the check is presented to the Fund. Checks may not be
presented for payment at the offices of the Bank or the Fund's Custodian.
This limitation does not affect the use of checks for the payment of bills
or to obtain cash at other banks. The Fund reserves the right to amend,
suspend or discontinue offering checkwriting privileges at any time
without prior notice.
How To Sell Shares
Information on how to sell shares of the Fund is stated in the
Prospectus. The information below supplements the terms and conditions for
redemptions set forth in the Prospectus.
- Payments "In Kind". The Prospectus states that payment for shares
tendered for redemption is ordinarily made in cash. However, if the Board
of Trustees of the Fund may determine that it would be detrimental to the
best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment
of a redemption order wholly or partly in cash. In that case, the Fund
may pay the redemption proceeds in whole or in part by a distribution "in
kind" of securities from the portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in
conformity with applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the
Investment Company Act, pursuant to which the Fund is obligated to redeem
shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets
of the Fund during any 90-day period for any one shareholder. If shares
are redeemed in kind, the redeeming shareholder might incur brokerage or
other costs in selling the securities for cash. The method of valuing
securities used to make redemptions in kind will be the same as the method
the Fund uses to value its portfolio securities described above under
"Determination of Net Asset Value Per Share" and that valuation will be
made as of the time the redemption price is determined.
- Involuntary Redemptions. The Fund's Board of Trustees has the right
to cause the involuntary redemption of the shares held in any account if
the aggregate net asset value of these shares is less than $200 or such
lesser amount as the Board may fix. The Board of Trustees will not cause
the involuntary redemption of shares in an account if the aggregate net
asset value of the shares has fallen below the stated minimum solely as
a result of market fluctuations. Should the Board elect to exercise this
right, it may also fix, in accordance with the Investment Company Act, the
requirements for any notice to be given to the shareholders in question
(not less than 30 days), or the Board may set requirements for granting
permission to the shareholder to increase the investment, and set other
terms and conditions so that the shares would not be involuntarily
redeemed.
Reinvestment Privilege. Within six months of a redemption, a shareholder
may reinvest all or part of the redemption proceeds of (i) Class A shares,
or (ii) Class B shares that were subject to the Class B contingent
deferred sales charge when redeemed. The reinvestment may be made without
sales charge only in Class A shares of the Fund or any of the other
OppenheimerFunds into which shares of the Fund are exchangeable as
described below, at the net asset value next computed after the Transfer
Agent receives the reinvestment order. The shareholder must ask the
Distributor for that privilege at the time of reinvestment. Any capital
gain that was realized when the shares were redeemed is taxable, and
reinvestment will not alter any capital gains tax payable on that gain.
If there has been a capital loss on the redemption, some or all of the
loss may not be tax deductible, depending on the timing and amount of the
reinvestment. Under the Internal Revenue Code, if the redemption proceeds
of Fund shares on which a sales charge was paid are reinvested in shares
of the Fund or another of the OppenheimerFunds within 90 days of payment
of the sales charge, the shareholder's basis in the shares of the Fund
that were redeemed may not include the amount of the sales charge paid.
That would reduce the loss or increase the gain recognized from the
redemption. However, in that case the sales charge would be added to the
basis of the shares acquired by the reinvestment of the redemption
proceeds. The Fund may amend, suspend or cease offering this reinvestment
privilege at any time as to shares redeemed after the date of such
amendment, suspension or cessation.
Transfers of Shares. Shares are not subject to the payment of a
contingent deferred sales charge of either class at the time of transfer
to the name of another person or entity (whether the transfer occurs by
absolute assignment, gift or bequest, not involving, directly or
indirectly, a public sale). The transferred shares will remain subject
to the contingent deferred sales charge, calculated as if the transferee
shareholder had acquired the transferred shares in the same manner and at
the same time as the transferring shareholder. If less than all shares
held in an account are transferred, and some but not all shares in the
account would be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed
at the time of transfer, the priorities described in the Prospectus under
"How to Buy Shares" for the imposition of the Class B contingent deferred
sales charge will be followed in determining the order in which shares are
transferred.
Special Arrangements for Repurchase of Shares from Dealers and Brokers.
The Distributor is the Fund's agent to repurchase its shares from
authorized dealers or brokers. The repurchase price per share will be the
net asset value next computed after the receipt of an order placed by such
dealer or broker, except that if the Distributor receives a repurchase
order from a dealer or broker after the close of The New York Stock
Exchange on a regular business day, it will be processed at that day's net
asset value if the order was received by the dealer or broker from its
customers prior to the time the Exchange closes (normally, that is 4:00
P.M., but may be earlier on some days) and the order was transmitted to
and received by the Distributor prior to its close of business that day
(normally 5:00 P.M.). Ordinarily, for accounts redeemed by a broker-
dealer under this procedure, payment will be made within three business
days after the shares have been redeemed upon the Distributor's receipt
of the required redemption documents in proper form, with the signature(s)
of the registered owners guaranteed on the redemption document as
described in the Prospectus.
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans. Investors owning shares of the
Fund valued at $5,000 or more can authorize the Transfer Agent to redeem
shares (minimum $50) automatically on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual
or annual basis under an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Shares will be
redeemed three business days prior to the date requested by the
shareholder for receipt of the payment. Automatic withdrawals of up to
$1,500 per month may be requested by telephone if payments are to be made
by check payable to all shareholders of record and sent to the address of
record for the account (and if the address has not been changed within the
prior 30 days). Required minimum distributions from OppenheimerFunds-
sponsored retirement plans may not be arranged on this basis. Payments
are normally made by check, but shareholders having AccountLink privileges
(see "How To Buy Shares") may arrange to have Automatic Withdrawal Plan
payments transferred to the bank account designated on the
OppenheimerFunds New Account Application or signature-guaranteed
instructions. The Fund cannot guarantee receipt of a payment on the date
requested and reserves the right to amend, suspend or discontinue offering
such plans at any time without prior notice. Because of the sales charge
assessed on Class A share purchases, shareholders should not make regular
additional Class A share purchases while participating in an Automatic
Withdrawal Plan. Class B and Class C shareholders should not establish
withdrawal plans because of the imposition of the contingent deferred
sales charge on such withdrawals (except where the Class B and Class C
contingent deferred sales charge is waived as described in the Prospectus
under "Class B Contingent Deferred Sales Charge" and "Class C Contingent
Deferred Sales Charge").
By requesting an Automatic Withdrawal or Exchange Plan, the
shareholder agrees to the terms and conditions applicable to such plans,
as stated below and in the provisions of the OppenheimerFunds Application
relating to such Plans, as well as the Prospectus. These provisions may
be amended from time to time by the Fund and/or the Distributor. When
adopted, such amendments will automatically apply to existing Plans.
- Automatic Exchange Plans. Shareholders can authorize the Transfer
Agent (on the OppenheimerFunds Application or signature-guaranteed
instructions) to exchange a pre-determined amount of shares of the Fund
for shares (of the same class) of other OppenheimerFunds automatically on
a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic
Exchange Plan. The minimum amount that may be exchanged to each other
fund account is $25. Exchanges made under these plans are subject to the
restrictions that apply to exchanges as set forth in "How to Exchange
Shares" in the Prospectus and below in this Statement of Additional
Information.
- Automatic Withdrawal Plans. Fund shares will be redeemed as
necessary to meet withdrawal payments. Shares acquired without a sales
charge will be redeemed first and shares acquired with reinvested
dividends and capital gains distributions will be redeemed next, followed
by shares acquired with a sales charge, to the extent necessary to make
withdrawal payments. Depending upon the amount withdrawn, the investor's
principal may be depleted. Payments made under withdrawal plans should
not be considered as a yield or income on your investment.
The Transfer Agent will administer the investor's Automatic
Withdrawal Plan (the "Plan") as agent for the investor (the "Planholder")
who executed the Plan authorization and application submitted to the
Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent shall incur no liability to the
Planholder for any action taken or omitted by the Transfer Agent in good
faith to administer the Plan. Certificates will not be issued for shares
of the Fund purchased for and held under the Plan, but the Transfer Agent
will credit all such shares to the account of the Planholder on the
records of the Fund. Any share certificates held by a Planholder may be
surrendered unendorsed to the Transfer Agent with the Plan application so
that the shares represented by the certificate may be held under the Plan.
For accounts subject to Automatic Withdrawal Plans, distributions of
capital gains must be reinvested in shares of the Fund, which will be done
at net asset value without a sales charge. Dividends on shares held in
the account may be paid in cash or reinvested.
Redemptions of shares needed to make withdrawal payments will be made
at the net asset value per share determined on the redemption date.
Checks or AccountLink payments of the proceeds of Plan withdrawals will
normally be transmitted three business days prior to the date selected for
receipt of the payment (receipt of payment on the date selected cannot be
guaranteed), according to the choice specified in writing by the
Planholder.
The amount and the interval of disbursement payments and the address
to which checks are to be mailed or AccountLink payments are to be sent
may be changed at any time by the Planholder by writing to the Transfer
Agent. The Planholder should allow at least two weeks' time in mailing
such notification for the requested change to be put in effect. The
Planholder may, at any time, instruct the Transfer Agent by written notice
(in proper form in accordance with the requirements of the then-current
Prospectus of the Fund) to redeem all, or any part of, the shares held
under the Plan. In that case, the Transfer Agent will redeem the number
of shares requested at the net asset value per share in effect in
accordance with the Fund's usual redemption procedures and will mail a
check for the proceeds to the Planholder.
The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Planholder by writing
to the Transfer Agent. A Plan may also be terminated at any time by the
Transfer Agent upon receiving directions to that effect from the Fund.
The Transfer Agent will also terminate a Plan upon receipt of evidence
satisfactory to it of the death or legal incapacity of the Planholder.
Upon termination of a Plan by the Transfer Agent or the Fund, shares that
have not been redeemed from the account will be held in uncertificated
form in the name of the Planholder, and the account will continue as a
dividend-reinvestment, uncertificated account unless and until proper
instructions are received from the Planholder or his or her executor or
guardian, or other authorized person.
To use shares held under the Plan as collateral for a debt, the
Planholder may request issuance of a portion of the shares in certificated
form. Upon written request from the Planholder, the Transfer Agent will
determine the number of shares for which a certificate may be issued
without causing the withdrawal checks to stop because of exhaustion of
uncertificated shares needed to continue payments. However, should such
uncertificated shares become exhausted, Plan withdrawals will terminate.
If the Transfer Agent ceases to act as transfer agent for the Fund,
the Planholder will be deemed to have appointed any successor transfer
agent to act as agent in administering the Plan.
How To Exchange Shares
As stated in the Prospectus, shares of a particular class of
OppenheimerFunds having more than one class of shares may be exchanged
only for shares of the same class of other OppenheimerFunds. Shares of
the OppenheimerFunds that have a single class of shares without a class
designation are deemed "Class A" shares for this purpose. All
OppenheimerFunds offer Class A shares but only the following other
OppenheimerFunds offer Class B shares:
Oppenheimer Strategic Income & Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Investment Grade Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Short-Term Income Fund
Oppenheimer New York Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Tax-Free Bond Fund
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Florida Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer New Jersey Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Insured Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street California Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street Income & Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Value Stock Fund
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund
Oppenheimer Mortgage Income Fund
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves (Class B shares are only available by
exchange)
Oppenheimer Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund
Oppenheimer Global Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund
Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund
Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Intermediate Tax-Exempt Fund
The following other OppenheimerFunds offer Class C shares:
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund
Oppenheimer Tax-Free Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund
Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund
Oppenheimer Target Fund
Oppenheimer Intermediate Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer Main Street Income & Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves (Class C shares are available only by
exchange)
Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Bond Fund
Oppenheimer New Jersey Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer New York Tax-Exempt Fund
Class A shares of OppenheimerFunds may be exchanged at net asset
value for shares of any Money Market Fund. Shares of any Money Market
Fund purchased without a sales charge may be exchanged for shares of
OppenheimerFunds offered with a sales charge upon payment of the sales
charge (or, if applicable, may be used to purchase shares of
OppenheimerFunds subject to a contingent deferred sales charge). However,
shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. purchased with the
redemption proceeds of shares of other mutual funds (other than funds
managed by the Manager or its subsidiaries) redeemed within the 12 months
prior to that purchase may subsequently be exchanged for shares of other
OppenheimerFunds without being subject to an initial or contingent
deferred sales charge, whichever is applicable. To qualify for that
privilege, the investor or the investor's dealer must notify the
Distributor of eligibility for this privilege at the time the shares of
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. are purchased, and, if requested, must
supply proof of entitlement to this privilege. Shares of this Fund
acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions from any other of
the OppenheimerFunds or from any unit investment trust for which
reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor may be
exchanged at net asset value for shares of any of the OppenheimerFunds.
No contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on exchanges of shares of
either class purchased subject to a contingent deferred sales charge.
However, when Class A shares acquired by exchange of Class A shares of
other OppenheimerFunds purchased subject to a Class A contingent deferred
sales charge are redeemed within 18 months of the end of the calendar
month of the initial purchase of the exchanged Class A shares, the Class
A contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on the redeemed shares (see
"Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge" in the Prospectus). The Class
B contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on Class B shares acquired
by exchange if they are redeemed within six years of the initial purchase
of the exchanged Class B shares. The Class C contingent deferred sales
charge is imposed on Class C shares acquired by exchange if they are
redeemed within 12 months of the initial purchase of the exchanged Class
C shares.
The Fund reserves the right to reject telephone or written exchange
requests submitted in bulk by anyone on behalf of 10 or more accounts. The
Fund may accept requests for exchanges of up to 50 accounts per day from
representatives of authorized dealers that qualify for this privilege. In
connection with any exchange request, the number of shares exchanged may
be less than the number requested if the exchange or the number requested
would include shares subject to a restriction cited in the Prospectus or
this Statement of Additional Information or would include shares covered
by a share certificate that is not tendered with the request. In those
cases, only the shares available for exchange without restriction will be
exchanged.
When Class B or Class C shares are redeemed to effect an exchange,
the priorities described in "How To Buy Shares" in the Prospectus for the
imposition of the Class B or Class C contingent deferred sales charge will
be followed in determining the order in which the shares are exchanged.
Shareholders should take into account the effect of any exchange on the
applicability and rate of any contingent deferred sales charge that might
be imposed in the subsequent redemption of remaining shares. Shareholders
owning shares of more than one Class must specify whether they intend to
exchange Class A, Class B or Class C shares.
When exchanging shares by telephone, a shareholder must either have
an existing account in, or obtain and acknowledge receipt of a prospectus
of, the fund to which the exchange is to be made. For full or partial
exchanges of an account made by telephone, any special account features
such as Asset Builder Plans, Automatic Withdrawal Plans and retirement
plan contributions will be switched to the new account unless the Transfer
Agent is instructed otherwise. If all telephone lines are busy (which
might occur, for example, during periods of substantial market
fluctuations), shareholders might not be able to request exchanges by
telephone and would have to submit written exchange requests.
Shares to be exchanged are redeemed on the regular business day the
Transfer Agent receives an exchange request in proper form (the
"Redemption Date"). Normally, shares of the fund to be acquired are
purchased on the Redemption Date, but such purchases may be delayed by
either fund up to five business days if it determines that it would be
disadvantaged by an immediate transfer of the redemption proceeds. The
Fund reserves the right, in its discretion, to refuse any exchange request
that may disadvantage it (for example, if the receipt of multiple exchange
requests from a dealer might require the disposition of portfolio
securities at a time or at a price that might be disadvantageous to the
Fund).
The different OppenheimerFunds available for exchange have different
investment objectives, policies and risks, and a shareholder should assure
that the Fund selected is appropriate for his or her investment and should
be aware of the tax consequences of an exchange. For federal income tax
purposes, an exchange transaction is treated as a redemption of shares of
one fund and a purchase of shares of another. "Reinvestment Privilege,"
above, discusses some of the tax consequences of reinvestment of
redemption proceeds in such cases. The Fund, the Distributor, and the
Transfer Agent are unable to provide investment, tax or legal advice to
a shareholder in connection with an exchange request or any other
investment transaction.
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions. Dividends will be payable on shares held of
record at the time of the previous determination of net asset value, or
as otherwise described in "How to Buy Shares." Daily dividends on newly
purchased shares will not be declared or paid until such time as Federal
Funds (funds credited to a member bank's account at the Federal Reserve
Bank) are available from the purchase payment for such shares. Normally,
purchase checks received from investors are converted to Federal Funds on
the next business day. Shares purchased through dealers or brokers
normally are paid for by the third business day following the placement
of the purchase order. Shares redeemed through the regular redemption
procedure will be paid dividends through and including the day on which
the redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in proper form.
Dividends will be declared on shares repurchased by a dealer or broker for
three business days following the trade date (i.e., to and including the
day prior to settlement of the repurchase). If all shares in an account
are redeemed, all dividends accrued on shares of the same class in the
account will be paid together with the redemption proceeds.
Dividends, distributions and the proceeds of the redemption of Fund
shares represented by checks returned to the Transfer Agent by the Postal
Service as undeliverable will be invested in shares of Oppenheimer Money
Market Fund, Inc., as promptly as possible after the return of such checks
to the Transfer Agent in order to enable the investor to earn a return on
otherwise idle funds.
The amount of a class's distributions may vary from time to time
depending on market conditions, the composition of the Fund's portfolio,
and expenses borne by the Fund or borne separately by a class, as
described in "Alternative Sales Arrangements -- Class A, Class B and Class
C Shares," above. Dividends are calculated in the same manner, at the same
time and on the same day for shares of each class. However, dividends on
Class B and Class C shares are expected to be lower as a result of the
asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares, and Class B and
Class C dividends will also differ in amount as a consequence of any
difference in net asset value between Class A, Class B and Class C shares.
Distributions may be made annually in December out of any net short-
term or long-term capital gains realized from the sale of securities,
premiums from expired calls written by the Fund and net profits from
Hedging Instruments and closing purchase transactions realized in the
twelve months ending on October 31 of the current year. Any difference
between the net asset value of Class A and Class B shares will be
reflected in such distributions. Distributions from net short-term
capital gains are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income and when paid
by the Fund are considered "dividends." The Fund may make a supplemental
distribution of capital gains and ordinary income following the end of its
fiscal year. Long-term capital gains distributions, if any are taxable
as long-term capital gains whether received in cash or reinvested and
regardless of how long Fund shares have been held. There is no fixed
dividend rate (although the Fund may have a targeted dividend rate for
Class A shares) and there can be no assurance as to the payment of any
dividends or the realization of any capital gains.
Tax Status of the Fund's Dividends and Distributions. The Fund intends
to qualify under the Internal Revenue Code during each fiscal year to pay
"exempt-interest dividends" to its shareholders. Exempt-interest
dividends which are derived from net investment income earned by the Fund
on Municipal Securities will be excludable from gross income of
shareholders for Federal income tax purposes. Net investment income
includes the allocation of amounts of income from the Municipal Securities
in the Fund's portfolio which are free from Federal income taxes. This
allocation will be made by the use of one designated percentage applied
uniformly to all income dividends made during the Fund's tax year. Such
designation will normally be made following the end of each fiscal year
as to income dividends paid in the prior year. The percentage of income
designated as tax-exempt may substantially differ from the percentage of
the Fund's income that was tax-exempt for a given period. A portion of
the exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund may be an item of tax
preference for shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax. All
of the Fund's dividends (excluding capital gains distributions) paid
during 1994 were exempt from Federal and California income taxes. The
amount of any dividends attributable to tax preference items for purposes
of the alternative minimum tax will be identified when tax information is
distributed by the Fund. 3.2% of the Fund's dividends (excluding
distributions) paid during 1994 were a tax preference item for
shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax.
A shareholder receiving a dividend from income earned by the Fund
from one or more of: (1) certain taxable temporary investments (such as
certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements, commercial paper and
obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities);
(2) income from securities loans; (3) income or gains from options or
Futures; or (4) an excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-
term capital loss from the Fund, treats the dividend as a receipt of
either ordinary income or long-term capital gain in the computation of
gross income, regardless of whether the dividend is reinvested. The
Fund's dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction
for corporations. Shareholders receiving Social Security benefits should
be aware that exempt-interest dividends are a factor in determining
whether such benefits are subject to Federal income tax. Losses realized
by shareholders on the redemption of Fund shares within six months of
purchase (which period may be shortened by regulation) will be disallowed
for Federal income tax purposes to the extent of exempt-interest dividends
received on such shares.
If the Fund qualifies as a "regulated investment company" under the
Internal Revenue Code, it will not be liable for Federal income taxes on
amounts paid by it as dividends and distributions. The Fund qualified as
a regulated investment company in its last fiscal year and intends to
qualify in future years, but reserves the right not to qualify. The
Internal Revenue Code contains a number of complex tests to determine
whether the Fund will qualify, and the Fund might not meet those tests in
a particular year. For example, if the Fund derives 30% or more of its
gross income from the sale of securities held less than three months, it
may fail to qualify (see "Tax Aspects of Covered Calls and Hedging
Instruments," above). If it does not qualify, the Fund will be treated for
tax purposes as an ordinary corporation and will receive no tax deduction
for payments of dividends and distributions made to shareholders.
In any year in which the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment
company under the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt from Federal income
tax, (1) the Fund will also be exempt from the California corporate income
and franchise taxes and (2) the Fund will be qualified under California
law to pay certain exempt interest dividends which will be exempt from the
California personal income tax. Individual shareholders of the Fund will
generally not be subject to California personal income tax on exempt-
interest dividends received from the Fund to the extent such distributions
are attributable to interest on California Municipal Securities (and
qualifying obligations of the United States Government), provided that at
least 50% of the Fund's assets at the close of each quarter of its taxable
year are invested in such obligations. Distributions from the Fund
attributable to sources other than California Municipal Securities will
generally be taxable to such shareholders as ordinary income. In
addition, certain distributions to corporate shareholders may be
includable in income subject to the California alternative minimum tax.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, by December 31 each year the Fund
must distribute 98% of its taxable investment income earned from January
1 through December 31 of that year and 98% of its capital gains realized
in the period from November 1 of the prior year through October 31 of the
current year, or else the Fund must pay an excise tax on the amounts not
distributed. While it is presently anticipated that the Fund will meet
those requirements, the Fund's Board of Trustees and the Manager might
determine in a particular year that it would be in the best interest of
shareholders for the Fund not to make such distributions at the required
levels and to pay the excise tax on the undistributed amounts. That would
reduce the amount of income or capital gains available for distribution
to shareholders.
Distributions by the Fund from investment income and long-term and
short-term capital gains will generally not be excludable from taxable
income in determining the California corporate franchise or income tax for
corporate shareholders of the Fund. Certain distributions may also be
includable in income subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax.
The Internal Revenue Code requires that a holder (such as the Fund)
of a zero coupon security accrue as income each year a portion of the
discount at which the security was purchased even though the Fund receives
no interest payment in cash on the security during the year. As an
investment company, the Fund must pay out substantially all of its net
investment income each year or be subject to excise taxes, as described
above. Accordingly, when the Fund holds zero coupon securities, it may
be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which
is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually
received during that year. Such distributions will be made from the cash
assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if
necessary. The Fund may realize a gain or loss from such sales. In the
event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its
shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they
would have had in the absence of such transactions.
The Fund had an unused capital loss carryover of approximately
$841,000 at December 31, 1994. It will expire in 2002.
Dividend Reinvestment in Another Fund. Shareholders of the Fund may elect
to reinvest all dividends and/or capital gains distributions in shares of
the same class of any of the other OppenheimerFunds listed in "Reduced
Sales Charges," above, at net asset value without sales charge. Not all
of the OppenheimerFunds offer Class B and Class C shares. The names of
the Funds that offer Class B shares or Class C shares can be obtained by
calling the Distributor at 1-800-525-7048. To elect this option, the
shareholder must notify the Transfer Agent in writing and must either have
an existing account in the fund selected for reinvestment or must obtain
a prospectus for that fund and an application from the Distributor to
establish an account. The investment will be made at the net asset value
per share in effect at the close of business on the payable date of the
dividend or distribution. Dividends and/or distributions from shares of
other OppenheimerFunds may be invested in shares of this Fund on the same
basis.
Additional Information About the Fund
The Custodian. Citibank, N.A. is the Custodian of the Fund's assets. The
Custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the
Fund's portfolio securities, securities and handling the delivery of such
securities to and from the Fund. The Manager has represented to the Fund
that the banking relationships with the Custodian have been and will
continue to be unrelated to and unaffected by the relationship between the
Fund and the Custodian. It will be the practice of the Fund to deal with
the Custodian in a manner uninfluenced by any banking relationship the
Custodian may have with the Manager and its affiliates.
Independent Auditors. The independent auditors of the Fund audit the
Fund's financial statements and perform other related audit services.
They also act as auditors for certain other funds advised by the Manager
and its affiliates.
<PAGE>
APPENDIX A
Description of Ratings Categories
Municipal Bonds
- - Moody's Investor Services, Inc. The ratings of Moody's Investors
Service, Inc. ("Moody's") for Municipal Bonds are Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, Ba,
B, Caa, Ca and C. Municipal Bonds rated "Aaa" are judged to be of the
"best quality." The rating of Aa is assigned to bonds which are of "high
quality by all standards," but as to which margins of protection or other
elements make long-term risks appear somewhat larger than "Aaa" rated
Municipal Bonds. The "Aaa" and "Aa" rated bonds comprise what are
generally known as "high grade bonds." Municipal Bonds which are rated
"A"
by Moody's possess many favorable investment attributes and are considered
"upper medium grade obligations." Factors giving security to principal
and interest of A rated bonds are considered adequate, but elements may
be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment at some time in
the future. Municipal Bonds rated "Baa" are considered "medium grade"
obligations. They are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present
but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be
characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds
lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative
characteristics as well. Bonds which are rated "Ba" are judged to have
speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured.
Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very
moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times
over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this
class. Bonds which are rated "B" generally lack characteristics of the
desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time
may be small. Bonds which are rated "Caa" are of poor standing. Such
issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with
respect to principal or interest. Bonds which are rated "Ca" represent
obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are
often in default or have other marked shortcomings. Bonds which are rated
"C" are the lowest rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be
regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real
investment standing. Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups
which Moody's believes possess the strongest investment attributes are
designated Aa1, A1, Baa1, Ba1 and B1 respectively.
In addition to the alphabetic rating system described above, Municipal
Bonds rated by Moody's which have a demand feature that provides the
holder with the ability to periodically tender ("put") the portion of the
debt covered by the demand feature, may also have a short-term rating
assigned to such demand feature. The short-term rating uses the symbol
VMIG to distinguish characteristics which include payment upon periodic
demand rather than fund or scheduled maturity dates and potential reliance
upon external liquidity, as well as other factors. The highest investment
quality is designated by the VMIG 1 rating and the lowest by VMIG 4.
- - Standard & Poor's Corporation. The ratings of Standard & Poor's
Corporation ("S&P") for Municipal Bonds are AAA (Prime), AA (High Grade),
A (Good Grade), BBB (Medium Grade), BB, B, CCC, CC, and C (speculative
grade). Bonds rated in the top four categories (AAA, AA, A, BBB) are
commonly referred to as "investment grade." Municipal Bonds rated AAA are
"obligations of the highest quality." The rating of AA is accorded
issues with investment characteristics "only slightly less marked than
those of the prime quality issues." The rating of A describes "the third
strongest capacity for payment of debt service." Principal and interest
payments on bonds in this category are regarded as safe. It differs from
the two higher ratings because, with respect to general obligations bonds,
there is some weakness, either in the local economic base, in debt burden,
in the balance between revenues and expenditures, or in quality of
management. Under certain adverse circumstances, any one such weakness
might impair the ability of the issuer to meet debt obligations at some
future date. With respect to revenue bonds, debt service coverage is
good, but not exceptional. Stability of the pledged revenues could show
some variations because of increased competition or economic influences
on revenues. Basic security provisions, while satisfactory, are less
stringent. Management performance appears adequate. The BBB rating is
the lowest "investment grade" security rating. The difference between A
and BBB ratings is that the latter shows more than one fundamental
weakness, or one very substantial fundamental weakness, whereas the former
shows only one deficiency among the factors considered. With respect to
revenue bonds, debt coverage is only fair. Stability of the pledged
revenues could show variations, with the revenue flow possibly being
subject to erosion over time. Basic security provisions are no more than
adequate. Management performance could be stronger. Bonds rated "BB"
have less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative
issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to
adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which would lead to
inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. Bonds
rated "B" have a greater vulnerability to default, but currently has the
capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity
or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. Bonds rated "CCC"
have a current identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent
upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely
payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the
capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Bonds noted "CC" typically
are debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned on actual or
implied "CCC" debt rating. Bonds rated "C" typically are debt
subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied "CCC-"
debt rating. The "C" rating may be used to cover a situation where a
bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are
continued. Bonds rated "D" are in payment default. The "D" rating
category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made
on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired,
unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during the grace
period. The "D" rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy
petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.
The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or
minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
- - Fitch. The ratings of Fitch Investors Service, Inc. for Municipal Bonds
are AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CC, C, DDD, DD, and D. Municipal Bonds
rated AAA are judged to be of the "highest credit quality." The rating
of AA is assigned to bonds of "very high credit quality." Municipal Bonds
which are rated A by Fitch are considered to be of "high credit quality."
The rating of BBB is assigned to bonds of "satisfactory credit quality."
The A and BBB rated bonds are more vulnerable to adverse changes in
economic conditions than bonds with higher ratings. Bonds rated AAA, AA,
A and BBB are considered to be of investment grade quality. Bonds rated
below BBB are considered to be of speculative quality. The ratings of
"BB" is assigned to bonds considered by Fitch to be "speculative." The
rating of "B" is assigned to bonds considered by Fitch to be "highly
speculative." Bonds rated "CCC" have certain identifiable characteristics
which, if not remedied, may lead to default. Bonds rated "CC" are
minimally protected. Default in payment of interest and/or principal
seems probable over time. Bonds rated "C" are in imminent default in
payment of interest or principal. Bonds rated "DDD", "DD" and "D" are in
default on interest and/or principal payments. DDD represents the highest
potential for recovery on these bonds, and D represents the lowest
potential for recovery.
Municipal Notes
- Moody's ratings for state and municipal notes and other short-term
loans are designated Moody's Investment Grade ("MIG"). Notes bearing the
designation MIG-1 are of the best quality, enjoying strong protection from
established cash flows of funds for their servicing or from established
and broad-based access to the market for financing. Notes bearing the
designation "MIG-2" are of high quality with ample margins of protection,
although not as large as notes rated "MIG." Such short-term notes which
have demand features may also carry a rating using the symbol VMIG as
described above, with the designation MIG-1/VMIG 1 denoting best quality,
with superior liquidity support in addition to those characteristics
attributable to the designation MIG-1.
- S&P's rating for Municipal Notes due in three years or less are SP-1,
SP-2, and SP-3. SP-1 describes issues with a very strong capacity to pay
principal and interest and compares with bonds rated A by S&P; if modified
by a plus sign, it compares with bonds rated AA or AAA by S&P. SP-2
describes issues with a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and
interest, and compares with bonds rated BBB by S&P. SP-3 describes issues
that have a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
- Fitch's rating for Municipal Notes due in three years or less are F-
1+, F-1, F-2, F-3, F-S and D. F-1+ describes notes with an exceptionally
strong credit quality and the strongest degree of assurance for timely
payment. F-1 describes notes with a very strong credit quality and
assurance of timely payment is only slightly less in degree than issues
rated F-1+. F-2 describes notes with a good credit quality and a
satisfactory assurance of timely payment, but the margin of safety is not
as great for issues assigned F-1+ or F-1 ratings. F-3 describes notes
with a fair credit quality and an adequate assurance of timely payment,
but near-term adverse changes could cause such securities to be rated
below investment grade. F-S describes notes with weak credit quality.
Issues rated D are in actual or imminent payment default.
Corporate Debt
The "other debt securities" included in the definition of temporary
investments are corporate (as opposed to municipal) debt obligations. The
Moody's, S&P and Fitch corporate debt ratings shown do not differ
materially from those set forth above for Municipal Bonds.
Commercial Paper
- Moody's The ratings of commercial paper by Moody's are Prime-1,
Prime-2, Prime-3 and Not Prime. Issuers rated Prime-1 have a superior
capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Issuers
rated Prime-2 have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term
promissory obligations. Issuers rated Prime-3 have an acceptable capacity
for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Issuers rated Not
Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
- S&P The ratings of commercial paper by S&P are A-1, A-2, A-3, B, C,
and D. A-1 indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment
is strong.A-2 indicates capacity for timely payment is satisfactory.
However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues
designated A-1. A-3 indicates an adequate capacity for timely payments.
They are, however, more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations. B
indicates only speculative capacity for timely payment. C indicates a
doubtful capacity for payment. D is assigned to issues in default.
- Fitch The ratings of commercial paper by Fitch are similar to its
ratings of Municipal Notes, above.
<PAGE>
APPENDIX B
Appendix B
TAX-EQUIVALENT YIELDS
The equivalent yield tables below compare tax-free income with taxable
income under Federal individual income tax rates, and California state
individual income tax rates effective January 1, 1995. "Combined Taxable
Income" refers to the net amount subject to Federal and California income
taxes after deductions and exemptions. The tables assume that an
investor's highest tax bracket applies to the change in taxable income
resulting from a switch between taxable and non-taxable investments, and
that state tax payments are currently deductible for Federal tax purposes
and that the investor is not subject to Federal or state alternative
minimum tax. The income tax brackets are subject to indexing in future
years to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. The brackets do not
reflect the phaseout of itemized deductions and personal exemptions at
higher income levels, resulting in higher effective tax rates (and tax
equivalent yields).
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Combined Taxable Income
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund Yield of:
Joint Return Effective Tax Bracket3.0% 3.5% 4.0% 4.5% 5.0% 5.5% 6.0%
But
Over Not Over Federal Cal. Combined Is Approximately Equivalent to a Taxable Yield of:
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Combined Taxable Income
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund Yield of:
Joint Return Effective Tax Bracket 6.5% 7.0%
But
Over Not Over Federal Cal. Combined Is Approximately Equivalent to a Taxable Yield of:
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Single Return:
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund Yield of:
Effective Tax Bracket3.0% 3.5% 4.0% 4.5% 5.0% 5.5% 6.0%
But
Over Not Over Federal Cal. Combined Is Approximately Equivalent to a Taxable Yield of:
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Single Return:
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund Yield of:
Effective Tax Bracket 6.5% 7.0%
But
Over Not Over Federal Cal. Combined Is Approximately Equivalent to a Taxable Yield of:
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
Appendix C
Industry Classifications
Aerospace/Defense
Air Transportation
Auto Parts Distribution
Automotive
Bank Holding Companies
Banks
Beverages
Broadcasting
Broker-Dealers
Building Materials
Cable Television
Chemicals
Commercial Finance
Computer Hardware
Computer Software
Conglomerates
Consumer Finance
Containers
Convenience Stores
Department Stores
Diversified Financial
Diversified Media
Drug Stores
Drug Wholesalers
Durable Household Goods
Education
Electric Utilities
Electrical Equipment
Electronics
Energy Services & Producers
Entertainment/Film
Environmental
Food
Gas Utilities
Gold
Health Care/Drugs
Health Care/Supplies & Services
Homebuilders/Real Estate
Hotel/Gaming
Industrial Services
Insurance
Leasing & Factoring
Leisure
Manufacturing
Metals/Mining
Nondurable Household Goods
Oil - Integrated
Paper
Publishing/Printing
Railroads
Restaurants
Savings & Loans
Shipping
Special Purpose Financial
Specialty Retailing
Steel
Supermarkets
Telecommunications - Technology
Telephone - Utility
Textile/Apparel
Tobacco
Toys
Trucking
<PAGE>
Investment Adviser
Oppenheimer Management Corporation
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Distributor
Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Transfer Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent
Oppenheimer Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217
1-800-525-7048
Custodian of Portfolio Securities
Citibank, N.A.
399 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10043
Independent Auditors
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
707 Seventeenth Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Legal Counsel
Gordon Altman Butowsky Weitzen
Shalov & Wein
114 West 47th Street
New York, New York 10036
<PAGE>
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
FORM N-1A
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(a) Financial Statements
(1) Financial Highlights*
(2) Independent Auditors' Report*
(3) Statement of Investments*
(4) Statement of Assets and Liabilities*
(5) Statement of Operations*
(6) Statements of Changes in Net Assets*
(7) Notes to Financial Statements*
(b) Exhibits
(1) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated October 25, 1995:
Filed herewith.
(2) By-Laws of the Registrant: Previously filed with Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1 to Registrant's Registration Statement, 10/7/88,
and refiled with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 10,
4/25/95, pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T.
(3) Not applicable
(4)(i) Specimen Class A Share Certificate: Previously filed with
Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registrant's Registration
Statement, 4/28/93, and filed with Registrant's Post-Effective
Amendment No. 10, 4/25/95.
____________
*To be filed by Amendment.
(ii) Specimen Class B Share Certificate: Previously filed with
Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registrant's Registration Statement,
4/28/93, and filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
No. 10, 4/25/95.
(iii) Specimen Class C Share Certificate: Filed herewith.
(5) Investment Advisory Agreement dated 10/22/90 between the
Registrant and Oppenheimer Management Corporation: Previously filed
with Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registrant's Registration
Statement, 2/28/91 and refiled with Registrant's Post-Effective
Amendment No. 10, 4/25/95, pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation
S-T and incorporated herein by reference.
(6)(a) General Distributor's Agreement dated 12/10/92 between the
Registrant and Oppenheimer Fund Management, Inc.: Previously filed with
Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registrant's Registration Statement,
4/28/93, and refiled with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 10,
4/25/95, pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T and incorporated herein
by reference.
(b) Form of Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc. Dealer Agreement: Filed
with Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 to the Registration Statement of
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. (Reg. No. 33-17850), 9/30/94, and
incorporated herein by reference.
(c) Form of Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc. Agency Agreement: Filed
with Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 to the Registration Statement of
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. (Reg. No. 33-17850), 9/30/94, and
incorporated herein by reference.
(d) Broker Agreement between Oppenheimer Fund Management, Inc. and
Newbridge Securities dated 10/1/86: Previously filed with Post-Effective
Amendment No. 25 of Oppenheimer Growth Fund (Reg. No. 2-45272), 11/1/86
and refiled with Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 of Oppenheimer Growth
Fund (Reg. No. 2-45272), 8/22/94, pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T
and incorporated herein by reference.
(e) Form of Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc. Broker Agreement: Filed
with Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 to the Registration Statement of
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. (Reg. No. 33-17850), 9/30/94, and
incorporated herein by reference.
(7) Retirement Plan for Non-Interested Trustees or Directors (adopted
6/7/90): Filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 of Oppenheimer Fund
(Reg. No. 2-14586), and incorporated herein by reference.
(8) Custodian Agreement dated 11/1/88: Filed with Pre-Effective Amendment
No. 2 to Registrant's Registration Statement, 10/31/88, and refiled with
Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 10, 4/25/95, pursuant to Item
102 of Regulation S-T and incorporated herein by reference.
(9) Not applicable
(10) Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated 10/6/88: Previously filed with
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registrant's Registration Statement,
10/7/88, and refiled with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 10,
4/25/95 pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T and incorporated herein by
reference.
(11) Independent Auditors' Consent: To be filed by Amendment.
(12) Not applicable.
(13) Not applicable.
(14) Not applicable.
(15)(i)Service Plan and Agreement for Class A shares under Rule 12b-1
dated 6/10/93: Filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to Registrant's
Registration Statement, 4/29/94, and incorporated herein by reference.
(ii) Form of Distribution Plan and Agreement for Class B shares under Rule
12b-1 dated 9/12/95: Filed herewith.
(iii) Distribution and Service Plan and Agreement for Class C Shares under
Rule 12b-1 dated 11/1/95.
(16) Performance Computation Schedule: To be filed by Amendment.
(17) Financial Data Schedules: To be filed by Amendment.
-- Powers of Attorney, including certified Board resolutions:
Filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to Registration
Statement 3/1/94, and incorporated herein by reference.
(18) Not applicable.
Item 25. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant
None.
Item 26. Number of Holders of Securities
Number of
Record Holders as
Title of Class of August 23, 1995
Class A Shares of Beneficial Interest 5,504
Class B Shares of Beneficial Interest 838
Class C Shares of Beneficial Interest 0
Item 27. Indemnification
Reference is made to paragraphs (c) through (f) of Section 12 of
Article SEVENTH of Registrant's Declaration of Trust filed as Exhibit
24(b)(1)(i) to this Registration Statement and incorporated herein by
reference.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and
controlling persons of Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or
otherwise, Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
trustee, officer or controlling person, Registrant will, unless in the
opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question
whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed
in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
Item 28. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
(a) Oppenheimer Management Corporation is the investment adviser of
the Registrant; it and certain subsidiaries and affiliates act in the same
capacity to other registered investment companies as described in Parts
A and B hereof and listed in Item 28(b) below.
(b) There is set forth below information as to any other business,
profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each
officer and director of Oppenheimer Management Corporation is, or at any
time during the past two fiscal years has been, engaged for his/her own
account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or
trustee.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Name & Current Position
with Oppenheimer Other Business and Connections
Management Corporation During the Past Two Years
- ----------------------- ------------------------------
<S> <C>
Lawrence Apolito, None.
Vice President
James C. Ayer, Jr., Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Assistant Vice President Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund and
Oppenheimer Global Emerging Growth Fund.
Victor Babin, None.
Senior Vice President
Robert J. Bishop Assistant Treasurer of the OppenheimerFunds
Assistant Vice President (listed below); previously a Fund Controller
for Oppenheimer Management Corporation (the
"Manager").
Bruce Bartlett Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc. and
Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds;
formerly a Vice President and Senior
Portfolio Manager at First of America
Investment Corp.
George Bowen Treasurer of the New York-based
Senior Vice President OppenheimerFunds; Vice President, Secretary
and Treasurer and Treasurer of the Denver-based
OppenheimerFunds. Vice President and
Treasurer of Oppenheimer Funds Distributor,
Inc. (the "Distributor") and HarbourView
Asset Management Corporation
("HarbourView"), an investment adviser
subsidiary of OMC; Senior Vice President,
Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and a
director of Centennial Asset Management
Corporation ("Centennial"), an investment
adviser subsidiary of the Manager; Vice
President, Treasurer and Secretary of
Shareholder Services, Inc. ("SSI") and
Shareholder Financial Services, Inc.
("SFSI"), transfer agent subsidiaries of
OMC; President, Treasurer and Director of
Centennial Capital Corporation; Vice
President and Treasurer of Main Street
Advisers; formerly Senior Vice President/
Comptroller and Secretary of Oppenheimer
Asset Management Corporation ("OAMC"), an
investment adviser which was a subsidiary of
the OMC.
Michael A. Carbuto, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Tax-Exempt Cash Reserves,
Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust,
Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust and
Centennial Tax Exempt Trust; Vice President
of Centennial.
William Colbourne, Formerly, Director of Alternative Staffing
Assistant Vice President Resources, and Vice President of Human
Resources, American Cancer Society.
Lynn Coluccy, Vice President Formerly Vice President/Director of Internal
Audit of the Manager.
O. Leonard Darling, Formerly Co-Director of Fixed Income for
Executive Vice President State Street Research & Management Co.
Robert A. Densen, None.
SeniorVice President
Robert Doll, Jr., Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Executive Vice President Oppenheimer Growth Fund, Oppenheimer
Variable Account Funds and Oppenheimer
Target Fund; Senior Vice President and
Portfolio Manager of Strategic Income &
Growth Fund.
John Doney, Vice President Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund.
Andrew J. Donohue, Secretary of the New York-based
Executive Vice President OppenheimerFunds; Vice President of the
& General Counsel Denver-based OppenheimerFunds; Executive
Vice President, Director and General Counsel
of the Distributor; formerly Senior Vice
President and Associate General Counsel of
the Manager and the Distributor.
Kenneth C. Eich, Treasurer of Oppenheimer Acquisition
Executive Vice President/ Corporation
Chief Financial Officer
George Evans, Vice President Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Oppenheimer Global Securities Fund.
Scott Farrar, Assistant Treasurer of the OppenheimerFunds;
Assistant Vice President previously a Fund Controller for the
Manager.
Katherine P.Feld Vice President and Secretary of Oppenheimer
Vice President and Funds Distributor, Inc.; Secretary of
Secretary HarbourView, Main Street Advisers, Inc. and
Centennial; Secretary, Vice President and
Director of Centennial Capital Corp.
Jon S. Fossel, President and director of Oppenheimer
Chairman of the Board, Acquisition Corp. ("OAC"), the Manager's
Chief Executive Officer parent holding company; President, CEO and
and Director a director of HarbourView; a director of SSI
and SFSI; President, Director, Trustee, and
Managing General Partner of the Denver-based
OppenheimerFunds; formerly President of the
Manager. President and Chairman of the Board
of Main Street Advisers, Inc.
Robert G. Galli, Trustee of the New York-based
Vice Chairman OppenheimerFunds; Vice President and Counsel
of OAC; formerly he held the following
positions: a director of the Distributor,
Vice President and a director of HarbourView
and Centennial, a director of SFSI and SSI,
an officer of other OppenheimerFunds and
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
of the Manager and the Distributor.
Linda Gardner, None.
Assistant Vice President
Ginger Gonzalez, Formerly 1st Vice President/Director of
Vice President Creative Services for Shearson Lehman
Brothers.
Dorothy Grunwager, None.
Assistant Vice President
Caryn Halbrecht, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Insured Tax-Exempt Bond Fund and
Oppenheimer Intermediate Tax Exempt Bond
Fund; an officer of other OppenheimerFunds;
formerly Vice President of Fixed Income
Portfolio Management at Bankers Trust.
Barbara Hennigar, President and Director of Shareholder
President and Chief Financial Service, Inc.
Executive Officer of
Oppenheimer Shareholder
Services, a division of OMC.
Alan Hoden, Vice President None.
Merryl Hoffman, None.
Vice President
Scott T. Huebl, None.
Assistant Vice President
Jane Ingalls, Formerly a Senior Associate with Robinson,
Assistant Vice President Lake/Sawyer Miller.
Bennett Inkeles, Formerly employed by Doremus & Company, an
Assistant Vice President advertising agency.
Stephen Jobe, None.
Vice President
Heidi Kagan, None.
Assistant Vice President
Avram Kornberg, Formerly a Vice President with Bankers
Vice President Trust.
Paul LaRocco, Portfolio Manager of Oppenheimer Capital
Assistant Vice President Appreciation Fund; Associate Portfolio
Manager of Oppenheimer Discovery Fund and
Oppenheimer Time Fund. Formerly a
Securities Analyst for Columbus Circle
Investors.
Mitchell J. Lindauer, None.
Vice President
Loretta McCarthy, None.
Senior Vice President
Bridget Macaskill, Director of HarbourView; Director of Main
President and Director Street Advisers, Inc.; and Chairman of
Shareholder Services, Inc.
Sally Marzouk, None.
Vice President
Marilyn Miller, Formerly a Director of marketing for
Vice President TransAmerica Fund Management Company.
Denis R. Molleur, None.
Vice President
Kenneth Nadler, None.
Vice President
David Negri, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Strategic Bond Fund, Oppenheimer
Multiple Strategies Fund, Oppenheimer
Strategic Investment Grade Bond Fund,
Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund,
Oppenheimer Strategic Diversified Income
Fund, Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund,
Oppenheimer Strategic Income & Growth Fund,
Oppenheimer Strategic Short-Term Income
Fund, Oppenheimer High Income Fund and
Oppenheimer Bond Fund; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
Barbara Niederbrach, None.
Assistant Vice President
Stuart Novek, Formerly a Director Account Supervisor for
Vice President J. Walter Thompson.
Robert A. Nowaczyk, None.
Vice President
Robert E. Patterson, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Senior Vice President Oppenheimer Main Street California Tax-
Exempt Fund, Oppenheimer Insured Tax-Exempt
Bond Fund, Oppenheimer Intermediate Tax-
Exempt Bond Fund, Oppenheimer Florida Tax-
Exempt Fund, Oppenheimer New Jersey Tax-
Exempt Fund, Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Tax-
Exempt Fund, Oppenheimer California Tax-
Exempt Fund, Oppenheimer New York Tax-Exempt
Fund and Oppenheimer Tax-Free Bond Fund;
Vice President of the New York Tax-Exempt
Income Fund, Inc.; Vice President of
Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income Trust.
Tilghman G. Pitts III, Chairman and Director of the Distributor.
Executive Vice President
and Director
Jane Putnam, Associate Portfolio Manager of Oppenheimer
Assistant Vice President Growth Fund and Oppenheimer Target Fund and
Portfolio Manager for Oppenheimer Variable
Account Funds-Growth Fund; Senior Investment
Officer and Portfolio Manager with Chemical
Bank.
Russell Read, Formerly an International Finance Consultant
Vice President for Dow Chemical.
Thomas Reedy, Vice President of Oppenheimer Multi-Sector
Vice President Income Trust and Oppenheimer Multi-
Government Trust; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds; formerly a Securities
Analyst for the Manager.
David Robertson, None.
Vice President
Adam Rochlin, Formerly a Product Manager for Metropolitan
Assistant Vice President Life Insurance Company.
David Rosenberg, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund and
Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust. Formerly
Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager
for Delaware Investment Advisors.
Richard H. Rubinstein, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund,
Oppenheimer Fund and Oppenheimer Multiple
Strategies Fund; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds; formerly Vice President
and Portfolio Manager/Security Analyst for
Oppenheimer Capital Corp., an investment
adviser.
Lawrence Rudnick, Formerly Vice President of Dollar Dry Dock
Assistant Vice President Bank.
James Ruff, None.
Executive Vice President
Ellen Schoenfeld, None.
Assistant Vice President
Diane Sobin, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc. and
Oppenheimre Variable Account Funds;
formerly a Vice President and Senior
Portfolio Manager for Dean Witter
InterCapital, Inc.
Nancy Sperte, None.
Senior Vice President
Donald W. Spiro, President and Trustee of the New York-based
Chairman Emeritus OppenheimerFunds; formerly Chairman of the
and Director Manager and the Distributor.
Arthur Steinmetz, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Senior Vice President Oppenheimer Strategic Diversified Income
Fund, Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund,
Oppenheimer Strategic Income & Growth Fund,
Oppenheimer Strategic Investment Grade Bond
Fund, Oppenheimer Strategic Short-Term
Income Fund; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
Ralph Stellmacher, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Senior Vice President Oppenheimer Champion High Yield Fund and
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund; an officer of
other OppenheimerFunds.
John Stoma, Vice President Formerly Vice President of Pension Marketing
with Manulife Financial.
James C. Swain, Chairman, CEO and Trustee, Director or
Vice Chairman of the Managing Partner of the Denver-based
Board of Directors OppenheimerFunds; President and a Director
and Director of Centennial; formerly President and
Director of OAMC, and Chairman of the Board
of SSI.
James Tobin, Vice President None.
Jay Tracey, Vice President Vice President of the Manager; Vice
President and Portfolio Manager of
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund. Formerly
Managing Director
of Buckingham Capital Management.
Gary Tyc, Vice President, Assistant Treasurer of the Distributor and
Assistant Secretary SFSI.
and Assistant Treasurer
Ashwin Vasan, Vice President of Oppenheimer Multi-Sector
Vice President Income Trust and Oppenheimer Multi-
Government Trust: an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
Valerie Victorson, None.
Vice President
Dorothy Warmack, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Daily Cash Accumulation Fund, Inc.,
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves, Centennial
America Fund, L.P., Centennial Government
Trust and Centennial Money Market Trust;
Vice President of Centennial.
Christine Wells, None.
Vice President
William L. Wilby, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Senior Vice President Oppenheimer Global Fund and Oppenheimer
Global Growth & Income Fund; Vice President
of HarbourView; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
Susan Wilson-Perez, None.
Vice President
Carol Wolf, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.,
Centennial America Fund, L.P., Centennial
Government Trust, Centennial Money Market
Trust and Daily Cash Accumulation Fund,
Inc.; Vice President of Oppenheimer Multi-
Sector Income Trust; Vice President of
Centennial.
Robert G. Zack, Associate General Counsel of the Manager;
Senior Vice President Assistant Secretary of the OppenheimerFunds;
and Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary of SSI, SFSI; an officer
of other OppenheimerFunds.
Eva A. Zeff, An officer of certain OppenheimerFunds;
Assistant Vice President formerly a Securities Analyst for the
Manager.
Arthur J. Zimmer, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
Vice President Centennial America Fund, L.P., Oppenheimer
Money Fund, Centennial Government Trust,
Centennial Money Market Trust and Daily Cash
Accumulation Fund, Inc.; Vice President of
Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income Trust; Vice
President of Centennial; an officer of other
OppenheimerFunds.
</TABLE>
The OppenheimerFunds include the New York-based OppenheimerFunds
and the Denver-based OppenheimerFunds set forth below:
New York-based OppenheimerFunds
Oppenheimer Asset Allocation Fund
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund
Oppenheimer Global Emerging Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Global Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund
Oppenheimer Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Multi-Government Trust
Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income Trust
Oppenheimer Multi-State Tax-Exempt Trust
Oppenheimer New York Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Fund
Oppenheimer Target Fund
Oppenheimer Tax-Free Bond Fund
Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Denver-based OppenheimerFunds
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves
Centennial America Fund, L.P.
Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Government Trust
Centennial Money Market Trust
Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Daily Cash Accumulation Fund, Inc.
The New York Tax-Exempt Income Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Champion High Yield Fund
Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund
Oppenheimer Integrity Funds
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc.
Oppenheimer Strategic Funds Trust
Oppenheimer Strategic Income & Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Investment Grade Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Short-Term Income Fund
Oppenheimer Tax-Exempt Fund
Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds
The address of Oppenheimer Management Corporation, the New York-
based OppenheimerFunds, Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc., Harbourview
Asset Management Corp., Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc., and
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. is Two World Trade Center, New York, New
York 10048-0203.
The address of the Denver-based OppenheimerFunds, Shareholder
Financial Services, Inc., Shareholder Services, Inc., Oppenheimer
Shareholder Services, Centennial Asset Management Corporation, Centennial
Capital Corp., and Main Street Advisers, Inc. is 3410 South Galena Street,
Denver, Colorado 80231.
Item 29. Principal Underwriter
(a) Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc. is the Distributor of
Registrant's shares. It is also the Distributor of each of the other
registered open-end investment companies for which Oppenheimer Management
Corporation is the investment adviser, as described in Part A and B of
this Registration Statement and listed in Item 28(b) above.
(b) The directors and officers of the Registrant's principal
underwriter are:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Positions and
Name & Principal Positions & Offices Offices with
Business Address with Underwriter Registrant
- ---------------- ------------------- -------------
<S> <C>
George Clarence Bowen+ Vice President & Treasurer Treasurer
Christopher Blunt Vice President None
6 Baker Avenue
Westport, CT 06880
Julie Bowers Vice President None
21 Dreamwold Road
Scituate, MA 02066
Peter W. Brennan Vice President None
1940 Cotswold Drive
Orlando, FL 32825
Mary Ann Bruce* Senior Vice President - None
Financial Institution Div.
Robert Coli Vice President None
12 Whitetail Lane
Bedminster, NJ 07921
Ronald T. Collins Vice President None
710-3 E. Ponce DeLeon Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030
Mary Crooks+ Vice President None
Paul Della Bovi Vice President None
750 West Broadway
Apt. 5M
Long Beach, NY 11561
Andrew John Donohue* Executive Vice Secretary
President & Director
Wendy H. Ehrlich Vice President None
4 Craig Street
Jericho, NY 11753
Kent Elwell Vice President None
41 Craig Place
Cranford, NJ 07016
John Ewalt Vice President None
2301 Overview Dr. NE
Tacoma, WA 98422
Katherine P. Feld* Vice President & Secretary None
Mark Ferro Vice President None
43 Market Street
Breezy Point, NY 11697
Wendy Fishler* Vice President - None
Financial Institution Div.
Wayne Flanagan Vice President - None
36 West Hill Road Financial Institution Div.
Brookline, NH 03033
Ronald R. Foster Senior Vice President - None
11339 Avant Lane Eastern Division Manager
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Patricia Gadecki Vice President None
6026 First Ave. South,
Apt. 10
St. Petersburg, FL 33707
Luiggino Galleto Vice President None
10239 Rougemont Lane
Charlotte, NC 28277
Mark Giles Vice President - None
5506 Bryn Mawr Financial Institution Div.
Dallas, TX 75209
Ralph Grant* Vice President/National None
Sales Manager - Financial
Institution Div.
Sharon Hamilton Vice President None
720 N. Juanita Ave. - #1
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Carla Jiminez Vice President None
609 Chimney Bluff Drive
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Michael Keogh* Vice President None
Richard Klein Vice President None
4011 Queen Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
Hans Klehmet II Vice President None
26542 Love Lane
Ramona, CA 92065
Ilene Kutno* Assistant Vice President None
Wayne A. LeBlang Senior Vice President - None
23 Fox Trail Director Eastern Div.
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Dawn Lind Vice President - None
7 Maize Court Financial Institution Div.
Melville, NY 11747
James Loehle Vice President None
30 John Street
Cranford, NJ 07016
Laura Mulhall* Senior Vice President - None
Director of Key Accounts
Charles Murray Vice President None
50 Deerwood Drive
Littleton, CO 80127
Joseph Norton Vice President None
1550 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Patrick Palmer Vice President None
958 Blue Mountain Cr.
West Lake Village, CA 91362
Randall Payne Vice President - None
1307 Wandering Way Dr. Financial Institution Div.
Charlotte, NC 28226
Gayle Pereira Vice President None
2707 Via Arboleda
San Clemente, CA 92672
Charles K. Pettit Vice President None
22 Fall Meadow Dr.
Pittsford, NY 14534
Bill Presutti Vice President None
664 Circuit Road
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tilghman G. Pitts, III* Chairman & Director None
Elaine Puleo* Vice President - None
Financial Institution Div.
Minnie Ra Vice President - None
109 Peach Street Financial Institution Div.
Avenel, NJ 07001
Ian Robertson Vice President None
4204 Summit Wa
Marietta, GA 30066
Robert Romano Vice President None
1512 Fallingbrook Drive
Fishers, IN 46038
James Ruff* President None
Timothy Schoeffler Vice President None
3118 N. Military Road
Arlington, VA 22207
Mark Schon Vice President None
10483 E. Corrine Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
Michael Sciortino Vice President None
785 Beau Chene Dr.
Mandeville, LA 70448
James A. Shaw Vice President - None
5155 West Fair Place Financial Institution Div.
Littleton, CO 80123
Robert Shore Vice President - None
26 Baroness Lane Financial Institution Div.
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Peggy Spilker Vice President - None
2017 N. Cleveland, #2 Financial Institution Div.
Chicago, IL 60614
Michael Stenger Vice President None
C/O America Building
30 East Central Pkwy
Suite 1008
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Paul Stickney Vice President None
1314 Log Cabin Lane
St. Louis, MO 63124
George Sweeney Vice President None
1855 O'Hara Lane
Middletown, PA 17057
Scott McGregor Tatum Vice President None
7123 Cornelia Lane
Dallas, TX 75214
Dave Thomas Vice President - None
3410 South Galena Street Financial Institution Div.
Executive Suites - 3rd Fl.
Denver, CO 80231
Philip St. John Trimble Vice President None
2213 West Homer
Chicago, IL 60647
Gary Paul Tyc+ Assistant Treasurer None
Mark Stephen Vandehey+ Vice President None
Gregory K. Wilson Vice President None
2 Side Hill Road
Westport, CT 06880
Bernard J. Wolocko Vice President None
33915 Grand River
Farmington, MI 48335
William Harvey Young+ Vice President None
</TABLE>
* Two World Trade Center, New York, NY 10048-0203
+ 3410 South Galena St., Denver, CO 80231
(c) Not applicable.
Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records
The accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained
Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act and
rules promulgated thereunder are in possession of Oppenheimer Management
Corporation, at its offices at 3410 South Galena Street, Denver, Colorado
80231.
Item 31. Management Services
Inapplicable.
Item 32. Undertakings
(a) Not applicable.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Not applicable.
(d) Registrant undertakes to call a meeting of shareholders
for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a Trustee
or Trustees when requested to do so by the holders of at least 10%
of Registrant's outstanding shares and in connection with such meeting
to in conformity with the provisions of Section 16(c) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 relating to shareholder communications.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and State of New York
on the 30th day of August, 1995.
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
By: /s/ Donald W. Spiro*
--------------------------------------
Donald W. Spiro, President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons
in the capacities on the dates indicated:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signatures Title Date
- ---------- ----- ----
<S> <C> <C>
/s/ Leon Levy* Chairman of the
- -------------- Board of Trustees August 30, 1995
Leon Levy
/s/ Donald W. Spiro* President, Principal
- -------------------- Executive Officer
Donald W. Spiro and Trustee August 30, 1995
/s/ George Bowen* Treasurer and
- ----------------- Principal Financial
George Bowen and Accounting
Officer August 30, 1995
/s/ Leo Cherne* Trustee August 30, 1995
- ---------------
Leo Cherne
/s/ Robert G. Galli* Trustee August 30, 1995
- -------------------
Robert G. Galli
/s/ Benjamin Lipstein* Trustee August 30, 1995
- ----------------------
Benjamin Lipstein
/s/ Elizabeth B. Moynihan* Trustee August 30, 1995
- --------------------------
Elizabeth B. Moynihan
/s/ Kenneth A. Randall* Trustee August 30, 1995
- -----------------------
Kenneth A. Randall
/s/ Edward V. Regan* Trustee August 30, 1995
- --------------------
Edward V. Regan
/s/ Russell S. Reynolds, Jr.* Trustee August 30, 1995
- -----------------------------
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr.
/s/ Sidney M. Robbins* Trustee August 30, 1995
- ----------------------
Sidney M. Robbins
/s/ Pauline Trigere* Trustee August 30, 1995
- --------------------
Pauline Trigere
/s/ Clayton K. Yeutter* Trustee August 30, 1995
- -----------------------
Clayton K. Yeutter
*By: /s/ Robert G. Zack
- --------------------------------
Robert G. Zack, Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
Index to Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
24(b)(1) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust
dated October 25, 1995
24(b)(4)(iii) Specimen Share Certificate - Class C Shares
24(b)(15)(ii) Form of Distribution and Service Plan for
Class B Shares
under Rule 12b-1 dated 9/12/95
24(b)(15)(iii) Distribution and Service Plan and Agreement
for Class C Shares under Rule 12b-1 dated
11/1/95
Exhibit 24(b)(1)
AMENDED AND RESTATED
DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
This AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST, made as of October
5, 1995, by and among the individuals executing this Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust as the Trustees.
WHEREAS, the Trustees established Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt
Fund (the "Fund") as a trust fund under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, for the investment and reinvestment of funds contributed
thereto, under a Declaration of Trust dated July 25, 1988 and by an
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated April 23, 1993;
WHEREAS, the Trustees desire to make certain permitted changes to
said Declaration of Trust;
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Fund have determined to amend the Fund's
Declaration of Trust pursuant to the provisions thereof;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees declare that all money and property
contributed to the trust fund hereunder shall henceforth be held and
managed under this Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust IN TRUST as
herein set forth below.
FIRST: This Trust shall be known as OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-
EXEMPT FUND. The address of Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund is Two
World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203. The Registered Agent
for Service is Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1295 State
Street, Springfield, Massachusetts 01111, Attention: Legal Department.
SECOND: Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the
context or specifically provided:
1. All terms used in this Declaration of Trust that are defined in
the 1940 Act (defined below) shall have the meanings given to them in the
1940 Act.
2. "Board" or "Board of Trustees" or the "Trustees" means the Board
of Trustees of the Trust.
3. "By-Laws" means the By-Laws of the Trust as amended from time
to time.
4. "Class" means a class of a series of Shares of the Trust
established and designated under or in accordance with the provisions of
Article FOURTH.
5. "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
6. "Declaration of Trust" shall mean this Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust as it may be amended or restated from time to time.
7. The "1940 Act" refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder, all as amended
from time to time.
8. "Series" refers to series of Shares of the Trust established and
designated under or in accordance with the provisions of Article FOURTH.
9. "Shareholder" means a record owner of Shares of the Trust.
10. "Shares" refers to the transferable units of interest into which
the beneficial interest in the Trust or any Series or Class of the Trust
(as the context may require) shall be divided from time to time and
includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares.
11. The "Trust" refers to the Massachusetts business trust created
by this Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to time.
12. "Trustees" refers to the individual trustees in their capacity
as trustees hereunder of the Trust and their successor or successors for
the time being in office as such trustees.
THIRD: The purpose or purposes for which the Trust is formed and the
business or objects to be transacted, carried on and promoted by it are
as follows:
1. To hold, invest or reinvest its funds, and in connection
therewith to hold part or all of its funds in cash, and to purchase or
otherwise acquire, hold for investment or otherwise, sell, sell short,
assign, negotiate, transfer, exchange or otherwise dispose of or turn to
account or realize upon, securities (which term "securities" shall for the
purposes of this Declaration of Trust, without limitation of the
generality thereof, be deemed to include any stocks, shares, bonds,
financial futures contracts, indexes, debentures, notes, mortgages or
other obligations, and any certificates, receipts, warrants or other
instruments representing rights to receive, purchase or subscribe for the
same, or evidencing or representing any other rights or interests therein,
or in any property or assets) created or issued by any issuer (which term
"issuer" shall for the purposes of this Declaration of Trust, without
limitation of the generality thereof be deemed to include any persons,
firms, associations, corporations, syndicates, business trusts,
partnerships, investment companies, combinations, organizations,
governments, or subdivisions thereof) and in financial instruments
(whether they are considered as securities or commodities); and to
exercise, as owner or holder of any securities or financial instruments,
all rights, powers and privileges in respect thereof; and to do any and
all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and
enhancement in value of any or all such securities or financial
instruments.
2. To borrow money and pledge assets in connection with any of the
objects or purposes of the Trust, and to issue notes or other obligations
evidencing such borrowings, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and
by the Trust's fundamental investment policies under the 1940 Act.
3. To issue and sell its Shares in such Series and Classes and
amounts and on such terms and conditions, for such purposes and for such
amount or kind of consideration (including without limitation thereto,
securities) now or hereafter permitted by the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and by this Declaration of Trust, as the Trustees may
determine.
4. To purchase or otherwise acquire, hold, dispose of, resell,
transfer, reissue or cancel its Shares, or to classify or reclassify any
unissued Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any
Series or Class into one or more Series or Classes that may have been
established and designated from time to time, all without the vote or
consent of the Shareholders of the Trust, in any manner and to the extent
now or hereafter permitted by this Declaration of Trust.
5. To conduct its business in all its branches at one or more
offices in New York, Colorado and elsewhere in any part of the world,
without restriction or limit as to extent.
6. To carry out all or any of the foregoing objects and purposes
as principal or agent, and alone or with associates or to the extent now
or hereafter permitted by the laws of Massachusetts, as a member of, or
as the owner or holder of any stock of, or share of interest in, any
issuer, and in connection therewith or make or enter into such deeds or
contracts with any issuers and to do such acts and things and to exercise
such powers, as a natural person could lawfully make, enter into, do or
exercise.
7. To do any and all such further acts and things and to exercise
any and all such further powers as may be necessary, incidental, relative,
conducive, appropriate or desirable for the accomplishment, carrying out
or attainment of all or any of the foregoing purposes or objects.
The foregoing objects and purposes shall, except as otherwise
expressly provided, be in no way limited or restricted by reference to,
or inference from, the terms of any other clause of this or any other
Article of this Declaration of Trust, and shall each be regarded as
independent and construed as powers as well as objects and purposes, and
the enumeration of specific purposes, objects and powers shall not be
construed to limit or restrict in any manner the meaning of general terms
or the general powers of the Trust now or hereafter conferred by the laws
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts nor shall the expression of one thing
be deemed to exclude another, though it be of a similar or dissimilar
nature, not expressed; provided, however, that the Trust shall not carry
on any business, or exercise any powers, in any state, territory, district
or country except to the extent that the same may lawfully be carried on
or exercised under the laws thereof.
FOURTH:
1. The beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided into
Shares, all without par value. The Trustees shall have the authority from
time to time, without obtaining shareholder approval, to create one or
more Series of Shares (the proceeds of which may be invested in separate,
independently managed portfolios) in addition to the Series specifically
established and designated in Part 3 of this Article FOURTH, and to divide
the shares of any Series into two or more Classes pursuant to Part 2 of
this Article FOURTH, all as they deem necessary or desirable, to establish
and designate such Series and Classes, and to fix and determine the
relative rights and preferences as between the different Series of Shares
or Classes as to right of redemption and the price, terms and manner of
redemption, liabilities and expenses to be borne by any Series or Class,
special and relative rights as to dividends and other distributions and
on liquidation, sinking or purchase fund provisions, conversion on
liquidation, conversion rights, and conditions under which the several
Series or Classes shall have individual voting rights or no voting rights.
Except as aforesaid, all Shares of the different Series shall be
identical.
(a) The number of authorized Shares and the number of Shares
of each Series and each Class of a Series that may be issued is unlimited,
and the Trustees may issue Shares of any Series or Class of any Series for
such consideration and on such terms as they may determine (or for no
consideration if pursuant to a Share dividend or split-up), all without
action or approval of the Shareholders. All Shares when so issued on the
terms determined by the Trustees shall be fully paid and non-assessable.
The Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares
previously issued and reacquired of any Series into one or more Series or
Classes of Series that may be established and designated from time to
time. The Trustees may hold as treasury Shares (of the same or some other
Series), reissue for such consideration and on such terms as they may
determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time to time, any Shares
of any Series reacquired by the Trust.
(b) The establishment and designation of any Series or any
Class of any Series in addition to that established and designated in Part
3 of this Article FOURTH shall be effective with the effectiveness of an
instrument setting forth such establishment and designation and the
relative rights and preferences of such Series or such Class of such
Series or as otherwise provided in such instrument. At any time that
there are no Shares outstanding of any particular Series previously
established and designated, the Trustees may by an instrument executed by
a majority of their number abolish that Series and the establishment and
designation thereof. If and to the extent that the instrument referred
to in this paragraph shall be an amendment to this Declaration of Trust,
the Trustees may make any such amendment without shareholder approval.
(c) Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust, and any
organization in which any such person is interested may acquire, own, hold
and dispose of Shares of any Series or Class of any Series of the Trust
to the same extent as if such person were not a Trustee, officer or other
agent of the Trust; and the Trust may issue and sell or cause to be issued
and sold and may purchase Shares of any Series or Class of any Series from
any such person or any such organization subject only to the general
limitations, restrictions or other provisions applicable to the sale or
purchase of Shares of such Series or Class generally.
2. The Trustees shall have the authority from time to time, without
obtaining shareholder approval, to divide the Shares of any Series into
two or more Classes as they deem necessary or desirable, and to establish
and designate such Classes. In such event, each Class of a Series shall
represent interests in the designated Series of the Trust and have such
voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights as may be established and
designated by the Trustees. Expenses related directly or indirectly to
the Shares of a Class of a Series may be borne solely by such Class (as
shall be determined by the Trustees) and, as provided in Article FIFTH,
a Class of a Series may have exclusive voting rights with respect to
matters relating solely to such Class. The bearing of expenses solely by
a Class of Shares of a Series shall be appropriately reflected (in the
manner determined by the Trustees) in the net asset value, dividend and
liquidation rights of the Shares of such Class of a Series. The division
of the Shares of a Series into Classes and the terms and conditions
pursuant to which the Shares of the Classes of a Series will be issued
must be made in compliance with the 1940 Act. No division of Shares of
a Series into Classes shall result in the creation of a Class of Shares
having a preference as to dividends or distributions or a preference in
the event of any liquidation, termination or winding up of the Trust, to
the extent such a preference is prohibited by Section 18 of the 1940 Act
as to the Trust. The Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued
Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any Series into
one or more Series or Classes of Series that may be established and
designated from time to time. The Trustees may hold as treasury Shares
(of the same or some other Series), reissue for such consideration and on
such terms as they may determine, or cancel, at their discretion from time
to time, any Shares of any Series reacquired by the Trust.
The relative rights and preferences of Shares of different Classes
of a Series shall be the same in all respects except that, and unless and
until the Board of Trustees shall determine otherwise: (i) when a vote of
Shareholders is required under this Declaration of Trust or when a meeting
of Shareholders is called by the Board of Trustees, the Shares of a Class
shall vote exclusively on matters that affect that Class only; (ii) the
expenses and liabilities related to a Class shall be borne solely by such
Class (as determined and allocated to such Class by the Trustees from time
to time in a manner consistent with Parts 2 and 3 of Article FOURTH); and
(iii) pursuant to paragraph 10 of Article NINTH, the Shares of each Class
shall have such other rights and preferences as are set forth from time
to time in the then-effective prospectus and/or statement of additional
information relating to the Shares. Dividends and distributions on one
Class of Shares may differ from the dividends and distributions on another
Class of Shares of the Series, and the net asset value of one Class of
Shares may differ from the net asset value of another Class of Shares of
the Series.
3. Without limiting the authority of the Trustees set forth in Part
1 of this Article FOURTH to establish and designate any further Series,
the Trustees hereby establish one Series of Shares having the same name
as the Trust, and said Shares shall be divided into such number of Classes
as shall be set forth from time to time in the then-effective prospectus
and/or statement of additional information relating to the Trust.
The Shares of that Series and any Shares of any further Series or Classes that
may from time to time be established and designated by the Trustees shall
(unless the Trustees otherwise determine with respect to some further
Series or Classes at the time of establishing and designating the same)
have the following relative rights and preferences:
(a) Assets Belonging to Series. All consideration received by
the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together
with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all
income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds
derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any
funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in
whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably belong to that Series
for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors, and shall be
so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Such consideration,
assets, income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, including any
proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets,
and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds,
in whatever form the same may be, together with any General Items
allocated to that Series as provided in the following sentence, are
herein referred to as "assets belonging to" that Series. In the event
that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits, and proceeds
thereof, funds, or payments which are not readily identifiable as
belonging to any particular Series (collectively "General Items"), the
Trustees shall allocate such General Items to and among any one or more
of the Series established and designated from time to time in such manner
and on such basis as they, in their sole discretion, deem fair and
equitable; and any General Items so allocated to a particular Series shall
belong to that Series. Each such allocation by the Trustees shall be
conclusive and binding upon the shareholders of all Series for all
purposes. No holder of Shares of any Series shall have any claim on or
right to any assets allocated or belonging to any other Series.
(b) (1) Liabilities Belonging to Series. The liabilities,
expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to each Series shall
be charged and allocated to the assets belonging to each particular
Series. Any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves
of the Trust which are not identifiable as belong to any particular Series
shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or
more of the Series established and designated from time to time in such
manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem
fair and equitable. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and
reserves allocated and so charged to each Series are herein referred to
as "liabilities belonging to" that Series. Each allocation of
liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Trustees shall
be conclusive and binding upon the shareholders of all Series for all
purposes. The Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not
inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated
as income and which items as capital; and each such determination and
allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.
(2) Liabilities Belonging to a Class. If a Series is
divided into more than one Class, the liabilities, expenses, costs,
charges and reserves attributable to a Class shall be charged and
allocated to the Class to which such liabilities, expenses, costs, charges
or reserves are attributable. Any general liabilities, expenses, costs,
charges or reserves belonging to the Series which are not identifiable as
belonging to any particular Class shall be allocated and charged by the
Trustees to and among any one or more of the Classes established and
designated from time to time in such manner and on such basis as the
Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. The
allocations in the two preceding sentences shall be subject to the 1940
Act or any release, rule, regulation, interpretation or order thereunder
relating to such allocations. The liabilities, expenses, costs, charges
and reserves allocated and so charged to each Class are herein referred
to as "liabilities belonging to" that Class. Each allocation of
liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Trustees shall
be conclusive and binding upon the holders of all Classes for all
purposes. No holder of Shares of any Class shall have any claim on or
right to any assets allocated or belonging to any other Class.
(c) Dividends. Dividends and distributions on Shares of a
particular Series or Class may be paid to the holders of Shares of that
Series or Class, with such frequency as the Trustees may determine, which
may be daily or otherwise pursuant to a standing resolution or resolutions
adopted only once or with such frequency as the Trustees may determine,
from such of the income, capital gains accrued or realized, and capital
and surplus, from the assets belonging to that Series, as the Trustees may
determine, after providing for actual and accrued liabilities belonging
to such Series or Class. All dividends and distributions on Shares of a
particular Series or Class shall be distributed pro rata to the
Shareholders of such Series or Class in proportion to the number of Shares
of such Series or Class held by such Shareholders at the date and time of
record established for the payment of such dividends or distributions,
except that in connection with any dividend or distribution program or
procedure the Trustees may determine that no dividend or distribution
shall be payable on Shares as to which the Shareholder's purchase order
and/or payment have not been received by the time or times established by
the Trustees under such program or procedure. Such dividends and
distributions may be made in cash or Shares or a combination thereof as
determined by the Trustees or pursuant to any program that the Trustees
may have in effect at the time for the election by each Shareholder of the
mode of the making of such dividend or distribution to that Shareholder.
Any such dividend or distribution paid in Shares will be paid at the net
asset value thereof as determined in accordance with paragraph 13 of
Article SEVENTH.
(d) Liquidation. In the event of the liquidation or
dissolution of the Trust, the Shareholders of each Series and all Classes
of each Series that has been established and designated shall be entitled
to receive, as a Series or Class, when and as declared by the Trustees,
the excess of the assets belonging to that Series over the liabilities
belonging to that Series or Class. The assets so distributable to the
Shareholders of any particular Class and Series shall be distributed among
such Shareholders in proportion to the number of Shares of such Class of
that Series held by them and recorded on the books of the Trust.
(e) Transfer. All Shares of each particular Series or Class
shall be transferable, but transfers of Shares of a particular Class and
Series will be recorded on the Share transfer records of the Trust
applicable to such Series or Class of that Series only at such times as
Shareholders shall have the right to require the Trust to redeem Shares
of such Series or Class of that Series and at such other times as may be
permitted by the Trustees.
(f) Equality. All Shares of each Series shall represent an
equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to that Series
(subject to the liabilities belonging to such Series or any Class of that
Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each
other Share of that Series and shares of each Class of a Series shall be
equal to each other Share of such Class; but the provisions of this
sentence shall not restrict any distinctions permissible under this
Article FOURTH that may exist with respect to Shares of the different
Classes of a Series. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine
the Shares of any particular Class or Series into a greater or lesser
number of Shares of that Class or Series without thereby changing the
proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that Class
or Series or in any way affecting the rights of Shares of any other Class
or Series.
(g) Fractions. Any fractional Share of any Class and Series,
if any such fractional Share is outstanding, shall carry proportionately
all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of that Class and Series,
including those rights and obligations with respect to voting, receipt of
dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares, and liquidation of the
Trust.
(h) Conversion Rights. Subject to compliance with the
requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trustees shall have the authority to
provide that (i) holders of Shares of any Series shall have the right to
exchange said Shares into Shares of one or more other Series of Shares,
(ii) holders of shares of any Class shall have the right to exchange said
Shares into Shares of one or more other Classes of the same or a different
Series, and/or (iii) the Trust shall have the right to carry out exchanges
of the aforesaid kind, in each case in accordance with such requirements
and procedures as may be established by the Trustees.
(i) Ownership of Shares. The ownership of Shares shall be
recorded on the books of the Trust or of a transfer or similar agent for
the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of
each Class and Series that has been established and designated. No
certification certifying the ownership of Shares need be issued except as
the Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Trustees may
make such rules as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share
certificates, the use of facsimile signatures, the transfer of Shares and
similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or
any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as
to who are the Shareholders and as to the number of Shares of each Class
and Series held from time to time by each such Shareholder.
(j) Investments in the Trust. The Trustees may accept
investments in the Trust from such persons and on such terms and for such
consideration, not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act, as
they from time to time authorize. The Trustees may authorize any
distributor, principal underwriter, custodian, transfer agent or other
person to accept orders for the purchase or sale of Shares that conform
to such authorized terms and to reject any purchase or sale orders for
Shares whether or not conforming to such authorized terms.
(k) Shareholders of a Series shall not be entitled to
participate in a derivative or class action with respect to any matter
which only affects another Series of Shareholders.
FIFTH: The following provisions are hereby adopted with respect to
voting Shares of the Trust and certain other rights:
1. The Shareholders shall have the power to vote (a) for the
election of Trustees when that issue is submitted to them, (b) with
respect to the amendment of this Declaration of Trust except where the
Trustees are given authority to amend the Declaration of Trust without
shareholder approval, (c) to the same extent as the shareholders of a
Massachusetts business corporation, as to whether or not a court action,
proceeding or claim should be brought or maintained derivatively or as a
class action on behalf of the Trust or the Shareholders, and (d) with
respect to those matters relating to the Trust as may be required by the
1940 Act or required by law, by this Declaration of Trust, or the By-Laws
of the Trust or any registration statement of the Trust filed with the
Commission or any State, or as the Trustees may consider desirable.
2. The Trust will not hold shareholder meetings unless required by
the 1940 Act, the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, or any other
applicable law. The Trustees may call a meeting of shareholders from time
to time.
3. At all meetings of Shareholders, each Shareholder shall be
entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the
Shareholders of the affected Series for each Share standing in his name
on the books of the Trust on the date, fixed in accordance with the By-
Laws, for determination of Shareholders of the affected Series entitled
to vote at such meeting (except, if the Board so determines, for Shares
redeemed prior to the meeting), and each such Series shall vote separately
("Individual Series Voting"); a Series shall be deemed to be affected when
a vote of the holders of that Series on a matter is required by the 1940
Act; provided, however, that as to any matter with respect to which a vote
of Shareholders is required by the 1940 Act or by any applicable law that
must be complied with, such requirements as to a vote by Shareholders
shall apply in lieu of Individual Series Voting as described above. If
the shares of a Series shall be divided into Classes as provided in
Article FOURTH, the shares of each Class shall have identical voting
rights except that the Trustees, in their discretion, may provide a Class
of a Series with exclusive voting rights with respect to matters which
relate solely to such Classes. If the Shares of any Series shall be
divided into Classes with a Class having exclusive voting rights with
respect to certain matters, the quorum and voting requirements described
below with respect to action to be taken by the Shareholders of the Class
of such Series on such matters shall be applicable only to the Shares of
such Class. Any fractional Share shall carry proportionately all the
rights of a whole Share, including the right to vote and the right to
receive dividends. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of
one-third of the Shares, or of the Shares of any Series or Class of any
Series, outstanding and entitled to vote thereat shall constitute a quorum
at any meeting of the Shareholders or of that Series or Class,
respectively; provided however, that if any action to be taken by the
Shareholders or by a Series or Class at a meeting requires an affirmative
vote of a majority, or more than a majority, of the shares outstanding and
entitled to vote, then in such event the presence in person or by proxy
of the holders of a majority of the shares outstanding and entitled to
vote at such a meeting shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. At a
meeting at which is a quorum is present, a vote of a majority of the
quorum shall be sufficient to transact all business at the meeting. If
at any meeting of the Shareholders there shall be less than a quorum
present, the Shareholders or the Trustees present at such meeting may,
without further notice, adjourn the same from time to time until a quorum
shall attend, but no business shall be transacted at any such adjourned
meeting except such as might have been lawfully transacted had the meeting
not been adjourned.
4. Each Shareholder, upon request to the Trust in proper form
determined by the Trust, shall be entitled to require the Trust to redeem
from the net assets of that Series and Class all or part of the Shares of
such Series and Class standing in the name of such Shareholder. The
method of computing such net asset value, the time at which such net asset
value shall be computed and the time within which the Trust shall make
payment therefor, shall be determined as hereinafter provided in Article
SEVENTH of this Declaration of Trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Trustees, when permitted or required to do so by the 1940 Act, may suspend
the right of the Shareholders to require the Trust to redeem Shares.
5. No Shareholder shall, as such holder, have any right to purchase
or subscribe for any Shares of the Trust which it may issue or sell, other
than such right, if any, as the Trustees, in their discretion, may
determine.
6. All persons who shall acquire Shares shall acquire the same
subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust.
7. Cumulative voting for the election of Trustees shall not be
allowed.
SIXTH:
1. The persons who shall act as initial Trustees until the first
meeting or until their successors are duly chosen and qualify are the
initial trustees executing this Declaration of Trust or any counterpart
thereof. However, the By-Laws of the Trust may fix the number of Trustees
at a number greater or lesser than the number of initial Trustees and may
authorize the Trustees to increase or decrease the number of Trustees, to
fill any vacancies on the Board which may occur for any reason including
any vacancies created by any such increase in the number of Trustees, to
set and alter the terms of office of the Trustees and to lengthen or
lessen their own terms of office or make their terms of office of
indefinite duration, all subject to the 1940 Act. Unless otherwise
provided by the By-Laws of the Trust, the Trustees need not be
Shareholders.
2. A Trustee at any time may be removed either with or without
cause by resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders
of two-thirds of the outstanding Shares, present in person or by proxy at
any meeting of Shareholders called for such purpose; such a meeting shall
be called by the Trustees when requested in writing to do so by the record
holders of not less than ten per centum of the outstanding Shares. A
Trustee may also be removed by the Board of Trustees as provided in the
By-Laws of the Trust.
3. The Trustees shall make available a list of names and addresses
of all Shareholders as recorded on the books of the Trust, upon receipt
of the request in writing signed by not less than ten Shareholders (who
have been shareholders for at least six months) holding in the aggregate
shares of the Trust valued at not less than $25,000 at current offering
price (as defined in the then effective Prospectus and\or Statement of
Additional Information relating to the Shares under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended from time to time) or holding not less than 1% in amount
of the entire amount of Shares issued and outstanding; such request must
state that such Shareholders wish to communicate with other Shareholders
with a view to obtaining signatures to a request for a meeting to take
action pursuant to Part 2 of this Article SIXTH and be accompanied by a
form of communication to the Shareholders. The Trustees may, in their
discretion, satisfy their obligation under this Part 3 by either making
available the Shareholder list to such Shareholders at the principal
offices of the Trust, or at the offices of the Trust's transfer agent,
during regular business hours, or by mailing a copy of such communication
and form of request, at the expense of such requesting Shareholders, to
all other Shareholders, and the Trustees may also take such other action
as may be permitted under Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act.
4. The Trust may at any time or from time to time apply to the
Commission for one or more exemptions from all or part of said Section
16(c) of the 1940 Act, and, if an exemptive order or orders are issued by
the Commission, such order or orders shall be deemed part of said Section
16(c) for the purposes of Parts 2 and 3 of this Article SIXTH.
SEVENTH: The following provisions are hereby adopted for the purpose
of defining, limiting and regulating the powers of the Trust, the Trustees
and the Shareholders.
1. As soon as any Trustee is duly elected by the Shareholders or
the Trustees and shall have accepted this Trust, the Trust estate shall
vest in the new Trustee or Trustees, together with the continuing
Trustees, without any further act or conveyance, and he or she shall be
deemed a Trustee hereunder.
2. The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, or
incapacity of the Trustees, or any one of them, shall not operate to annul
or terminate the Trust but the Trust shall continue in full force and
effect pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust.
3. The assets of the Trust shall be held separate and apart from
any assets now or hereafter held in any capacity other than as Trustee
hereunder by the Trustees or any successor Trustees. All of the assets
of the Trust shall at all times be considered as vested in the Trustees.
No Shareholder shall have, as a holder of beneficial interest in the
Trust, any authority, power or right whatsoever to transact business for
or on behalf of the Trust, or on behalf of the Trustees, in connection
with the property or assets of the Trust, or in any part thereof.
4. The Trustees in all instances shall act as principals, and are
and shall be free from the control of the Shareholders. The Trustees
shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and
execute, and to authorize the officers and agents of the Trust to make and
execute, any and all contracts and instruments that they may consider
necessary or appropriate in connection with the management of the Trust.
The Trustees shall not in any way be bound or limited by present or future
laws or customs in regard to Trust investments, but shall have full
authority and power to make any and all investments which they, in their
uncontrolled discretion, shall deem proper to accomplish the purpose of
this Trust. Subject to any applicable limitation in this Declaration of
Trust or by the By-Laws of the Trust, the Trustees shall have power and
authority:
(a) to adopt By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of
Trust providing for the conduct of the business of the Trust and to amend
and repeal them to the extent that they do not reserve that right to the
Shareholders;
(b) to elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate
such officers as they consider appropriate with or without cause, and to
appoint and designate from among the Trustees such committees as the
Trustees may determine, and to terminate any such committee and remove any
member of such committee;
(c) to employ as custodian of any assets of the Trust a bank
or trust company or any other entity qualified and eligible to act as a
custodian, subject to any conditions set forth in this Declaration of
Trust or in the By-Laws;
(d) To retain a transfer agent and shareholder servicing agent,
or both;
(e) To provide for the distribution of Shares either through
a principal underwriter or the Trust itself or both;
(f) To set record dates in the manner provided for in the By-
Laws of the Trust;
(g) to delegate such authority as they consider desirable to
any officers of the Trust and to any agent, custodian or underwriter;
(h) to vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of
ownership, with respect to stock or other securities or property held in
Trust hereunder; and to execute and deliver powers of attorney to such
person or persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such
person or persons such power and discretion with relation to securities
or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(i) to exercise powers and rights of subscription or otherwise
which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities held in trust
hereunder;
(j) to hold any security or property in a form not indicating
any trust, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form,
either in its own name or in the name of a custodian or a nominee or
nominees, subject in either case to proper safeguards according to the
usual practice of Massachusetts business trusts or investment companies;
(k) to consent to or participate in any plan for the
reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or concern, any
security of which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease,
mortgage, purchase, or sale of property by such corporation or concern,
and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the
Trust;
(l) to compromise, arbitrate, or otherwise adjust claims in
favor of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy including, but
not limited to, claims for taxes;
(m) to make, in the manner provided in the By-Laws,
distributions of income and of capital gains to Shareholders;
(n) to borrow money to the extent and in the manner permitted
by the 1940 Act and the Trust's fundamental policy thereunder as to
borrowing;
(o) to enter into investment advisory or management contracts,
subject to the 1940 Act, with any one or more corporations, partnerships,
trusts, associations or other persons;
(p) to change the name of the Trust or any Class or Series of
the Trust as they consider appropriate without prior shareholder approval;
and
(q) to establish officers' and Trustees' fees or compensation
and fees or compensation for committees of the Trustees to be paid by the
Trust or each Series thereof in such manner and amount as the Trustees may
determine.
5. No one dealing with the Trustees shall be under any obligation
to make any inquiry concerning the authority of the Trustees, or to see
to the application of any payments made or property transferred to the
Trustees or upon their order.
6. (a) The Trustees shall have no power to bind any Shareholder
personally or to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of
money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at
any time personally agree to pay by way of subscription to any Shares or
otherwise. This paragraph shall not limit the right of the Trustees to
assert claims against any shareholder based upon the acts or omissions of
such shareholder or for any other reason. There is hereby expressly
disclaimed shareholder and Trustee liability for the acts and obligations
of the Trust. Every note, bond, contract or other undertaking issued by
or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees relating to the Trust shall
include a notice and provision limiting the obligation represented thereby
to the Trust and its assets (but the omission of such notice and provision
shall not operate to impose any liability or obligation on any
Shareholder).
(b) Whenever this Declaration of Trust calls for or permits any
action to be taken by the Trustees hereunder, such action shall mean that
taken by the Board of Trustees by vote of the majority of a quorum of
Trustees as set forth from time to time in the By-Laws of the Trust or as
required by the 1940 Act.
(c) The Trustees shall possess and exercise any and all such
additional powers as are reasonably implied from the powers herein
contained such as may be necessary or convenient in the conduct of any
business or enterprise of the Trust, to do and perform anything necessary,
suitable, or proper for the accomplishment of any of the purposes, or the
attainment of any one or more of the objects, herein enumerated, or which
shall at any time appear conducive to or expedient for the protection or
benefit of the Trust, and to do and perform all other acts and things
necessary or incidental to the purposes herein before set forth, or that
may be deemed necessary by the Trustees.
(d) The Trustees shall have the power, to the extent not
inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine conclusively whether any
moneys, securities, or other properties of the Trust are, for the purposes
of this Trust, to be considered as capital or income and in what manner
any expenses or disbursements are to be borne as between capital and
income whether or not in the absence of this provision such moneys,
securities, or other properties would be regarded as capital or income and
whether or not in the absence of this provision such expenses or
disbursements would ordinarily be charged to capital or to income.
7. The By-Laws of the Trust may divide the Trustees into classes
and prescribe the tenure of office of the several classes, but no class
of Trustee shall be elected for a period shorter than that from the time
of the election following the division into classes until the next meeting
and thereafter for a period shorter than the interval between meetings or
for a period longer than five years, and the term of office of at least
one class shall expire each year.
8. The Shareholders shall have the right to inspect the records,
documents, accounts and books of the Trust, subject to reasonable
regulations of the Trustees, not contrary to Massachusetts law, as to
whether and to what extent, and at what times and places, and under what
conditions and regulations, such right shall be exercised.
9. Any officer elected or appointed by the Trustees or by the
Shareholders or otherwise, may be removed at any time, with or without
cause, in such lawful manner as may be provided in the By-Laws of the
Trust.
10. The Trustees shall have power to hold their meetings, to have
an office or offices and, subject to the provisions of the laws of
Massachusetts, to keep the books of the Trust outside of said Commonwealth
at such places as may from time to time be designated by them. Action may
be taken by the Trustees without a meeting by unanimous written consent
or by telephone or similar method of communication.
11. Securities held by the Trust shall be voted in person or by
proxy by the President or a Vice-President, or such officer or officers
of the Trust as the Trustees shall designate for the purpose, or by a
proxy or proxies thereunto duly authorized by the Trustees, except as
otherwise ordered by vote of the holders of a majority of the Shares
outstanding and entitled to vote in respect thereto.
12. (a) Subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, any Trustee,
officer or employee, individually, or any partnership of which any
Trustee, officer or employee may be a member, or any corporation or
association of which any Trustee, officer or employee may be an officer,
partner, director, trustee, employee or stockholder, or otherwise may have
an interest, may be a party to, or may be pecuniarily or otherwise
interested in, any contract or transaction of the Trust, and in the
absence of fraud no contract or other transaction shall be thereby
affected or invalidated; provided that in such case a Trustee, officer or
employee or a partnership, corporation or association of which a Trustee,
officer or employee is a member, officer, director, trustee, employee or
stockholder is so interested, such fact shall be disclosed or shall have
been known to the Trustees including those Trustees who are not so
interested and who are neither "interested" nor "affiliated" persons as
those terms are defined in the 1940 Act, or a majority thereof; and any
Trustee who is so interested, or who is also a director, officer, partner,
trustee, employee or stockholder of such other corporation or a member of
such partnership or association which is so interested, may be counted in
determining the existence of a quorum at any meeting of the Trustees which
shall authorize any such contract or transaction, and may vote thereat to
authorize any such contract or transaction, with like force and effect as
if he were not so interested.
(b) Specifically, but without limitation of the foregoing, the
Trust may enter into a management or investment advisory contract or
underwriting contract and other contracts with, and may otherwise do
business with any manager or investment adviser for the Trust and/or
principal underwriter of the Shares of the Trust or any subsidiary or
affiliate of any such manager or investment adviser and/or principal
underwriter and may permit any such firm or corporation to enter into any
contracts or other arrangements with any other firm or corporation
relating to the Trust notwithstanding that the Trustees of the Trust may
be composed in part of partners, directors, officers or employees of any
such firm or corporation, and officers of the Trust may have been or may
be or become partners, directors, officers or employees of any such firm
or corporation, and in the absence of fraud the Trust and any such firm
or corporation may deal freely with each other, and no such contract or
transaction between the Trust and any such firm or corporation shall be
invalidated or in any way affected thereby, nor shall any Trustee or
officer of the Trust be liable to the Trust or to any Shareholder or
creditor thereof or to any other person for any loss incurred by it or him
solely because of the existence of any such contract or transaction;
provided that nothing herein shall protect any director or officer of the
Trust against any liability to the trust or to its security holders to
which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
the conduct of his office.
(c) As used in this paragraph the following terms shall have
the meanings set forth below:
(i) the term "indemnitee" shall mean any present or
former Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust, any present or former
Trustee, partner, Director or officer of another trust, partnership,
corporation or association whose securities are or were owned by the Trust
or of which the Trust is or was a creditor and who served or serves in
such capacity at the request of the Trust, and the heirs, executors,
administrators, successors and assigns of any of the foregoing; however,
whenever conduct by an indemnitee is referred to, the conduct shall be
that of the original indemnitee rather than that of the heir, executor,
administrator, successor or assignee;
(ii) the term "covered proceeding" shall mean any
threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, to which an indemnitee
is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of the
fact or facts under which he or it is an indemnitee as defined above;
(iii) the term "disabling conduct" shall mean willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of the office in question;
(iv) the term "covered expenses" shall mean expenses
(including attorney's fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by an indemnitee in connection
with a covered proceeding; and
(v) the term "adjudication of liability" shall mean,
as to any covered proceeding and as to any indemnitee, an adverse
determination as to the indemnitee whether by judgment, order, settlement,
conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent.
(d) The Trust shall not indemnify any indemnitee for any
covered expenses in any covered proceeding if there has been an
adjudication of liability against such indemnitee expressly based on a
finding of disabling conduct.
(e) Except as set forth in paragraph (d) above, the Trust
shall indemnify any indemnitee for covered expenses in any covered
proceeding, whether or not there is an adjudication of liability as to
such indemnitee, such indemnification by the Trust to be to the fullest
extent now or hereafter permitted by any applicable law unless the By-Laws
limit or restrict the indemnification to which any indemnitee may be
entitled. The Board of Trustees may adopt By-Law provisions to implement
sub-paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) hereof.
(f) Nothing herein shall be deemed to affect the right of
the Trust and/or any indemnitee to acquire and pay for any insurance
covering any or all indemnitees to the extent permitted by applicable law
or to affect any other indemnification rights to which any indemnitee may
be entitled to the extent permitted by applicable law. Such rights to
indemnification shall not, except as otherwise provided by law, be deemed
exclusive of any other rights to which such indemnitee may be entitled
under any statute now or hereafter enacted, By-Law, contract or otherwise.
13. The Trustees are empowered, in their absolute discretion, to
establish bases or times, or both, for determining the net asset value per
Share of any Class and Series in accordance with the 1940 Act and to
authorize the voluntary purchase by any Class and Series, either directly
or through an agent, of Shares of any Class and Series upon such terms and
conditions and for such consideration as the Trustees shall deem advisable
in accordance with the 1940 Act.
14. Payment of the net asset value per Share of any Class and
Series properly surrendered to it for redemption shall be made by the
Trust within seven days, or as specified in any applicable law or
regulation, after tender of such stock or request for redemption to the
Trust for such purpose together with any additional documentation that may
be reasonably required by the Trust or its transfer agent to evidence the
authority of the tenderor to make such request, plus any period of time
during which the right of the holders of the shares of such Class of that
Series to require the Trust to redeem such shares has been suspended. Any
such payment may be made in portfolio securities of such Class of that
Series and/or in cash, as the Trustees shall deem advisable, and no
Shareholder shall have a right, other than as determined by the Trustees,
to have Shares redeemed in kind.
15. The Trust shall have the right, at any time and without prior
notice to the Shareholder, to redeem Shares of the Class and Series held
by such Shareholder held in any account registered in the name of such
Shareholder for its current net asset value, if and to the extent that
such redemption is necessary to reimburse either that Series or Class of
the Trust or the distributor (i.e., principal underwriter) of the Shares
for any loss either has sustained by reason of the failure of such
Shareholder to make timely and good payment for Shares purchased or
subscribed for by such Shareholder, regardless of whether such Shareholder
was a Shareholder at the time of such purchase or subscription, subject
to and upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees may from time to
time prescribe.
EIGHTH: The name "Oppenheimer" included in the name of the Trust
and of any Series shall be used pursuant to a royalty-free, non-exclusive
license from Oppenheimer Management Corporation ("OMC"), incidental to and
as part of any one or more advisory, management or supervisory contracts
which may be entered into by the Trust with OMC. Such license shall allow
OMC to inspect and subject to the control of the Board of Trustees to
control the nature and quality of services offered by the Trust under such
name. The license may be terminated by OMC upon termination of such
advisory, management or supervisory contracts or without cause upon 60
days' written notice, in which case neither the Trust nor any Series or
Class shall have any further right to use the name "Oppenheimer" in its
name or otherwise and the Trust, the Shareholders and its officers and
Trustees shall promptly take whatever action may be necessary to change
its name and the names of any Series or Classes accordingly.
NINTH:
1. In case any Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be held
to be personally liable solely by reason of his being or having been a
Shareholder and not because of his acts or omissions or for some other
reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or the Shareholders, heirs,
executors, administrators or other legal representatives or in the case
of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general
successor) shall be entitled out of the Trust estate to be held harmless
from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such
liability. The Trust shall, upon request by the Shareholder, assume the
defense of any such claim made against any Shareholder for any act or
obligation of the Trust and satisfy any judgment thereon.
2. It is hereby expressly declared that a trust and not a
partnership is created hereby. No individual Trustee hereunder shall have
any power to bind the Trust, the Trust's officers or any Shareholder. All
persons extending credit to, doing business with, contracting with or
having or asserting any claim against the Trust or the Trustees shall look
only to the assets of the Trust for payment under any such credit,
transaction, contract or claim; and neither the Shareholders nor the
Trustees, nor any of their agents, whether past, present or future, shall
be personally liable therefor; notice of such disclaimer shall be given
in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by
the Trust or the Trustees. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall
protect a Trustee
against any liability to which such Trustee would otherwise be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee
hereunder.
3. The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretion
hereunder in good faith and with reasonable care under the circumstances
then prevailing, shall be binding upon everyone interested. Subject to
the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article NINTH, the Trustees shall
not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The
Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the
meaning and operations of this Declaration of Trust, applicable laws,
contracts, obligations, transactions or any other business the Trust may
enter into, and subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article
NINTH, shall be under no liability for any act or omission in accordance
with such advice or for failing to follow such advice. The Trustees shall
not be required to give any bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is
required.
4. This Trust shall continue without limitation of time but
subject to the provisions of sub-sections (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this
paragraph 4.
(a) The Trustees, with the favorable vote of the holders of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940
Act, of any one or more Series entitled to vote, may sell and convey the
assets of that Series (which sale may be subject to the retention of
assets for the payment of liabilities and expenses) to another issuer for
a consideration which may be or include securities of such issuer. Upon
making provision for the payment of liabilities, by assumption by such
issuer or otherwise, the Trustees shall distribute the remaining proceeds
ratably among the holders of the outstanding Shares of the Series the
assets of which have been so transferred.
(b) The Trustees, with the favorable vote of the holders
of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940
Act, of any one or more Series entitled to vote, may at any time sell and
convert into money all the assets of that Series. Upon making provisions
for the payment of all outstanding obligations, taxes and other
liabilities, accrued or contingent, of that Series, the Trustees shall
distribute the remaining assets of that Series ratably among the holders
of the outstanding Shares of that Series.
(c) The Trustees, with the favorable vote of the holders of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940
Act, of any one or more Series entitled to vote, may otherwise alter,
convert or transfer the assets of that Series or those Series.
(d) Upon completion of the distribution of the remaining
proceeds or the remaining assets as provided in sub-sections (a) and (b),
and in subsection (c) where applicable, the Series the assets of which
have been so transferred shall terminate, and if all the assets of the
Trust have been so transferred, the Trust shall terminate and the Trustees
shall be discharged of any and all further liabilities and duties
hereunder and the right, title and interest of all parties shall be
cancelled and discharged.
5. The original or a copy of this instrument and of each
restated declaration of trust or instrument supplemental hereto shall be
kept at the office of the Trust where it may be inspected by any
Shareholder. A copy of this instrument and of each supplemental or
restated declaration of trust shall be filed with the Secretary of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as any other governmental office
where such filing may from time to time be required. Anyone dealing with
the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to
whether or not any such supplemental or restated declarations of trust
have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust
hereunder, and, with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely
on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this
instrument or of any such supplemental or restated declaration of trust.
In this instrument or in any such supplemental or restated declaration of
trust, references to this instrument, and all expressions like "herein",
"hereof" and "hereunder" shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as
amended or affected by any such supplemental or restated declaration of
trust. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed an original.
6. The Trust set forth in this instrument is created under and
is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Trust shall be of the type
commonly called a Massachusetts business trust, and without limiting the
provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily
exercised by such a trust.
7. The Board of Trustees is empowered to cause the redemption
of the Shares held in any account if the aggregate net asset value of such
Shares has been reduced to $200 or less upon such notice to the
shareholder in question, with such permission to increase the investment
in question and upon such other terms and conditions as may be fixed by
the Board of Trustees in accordance with the 1940 Act.
8. In the event that any person advances the organizational
expenses of the Trust, such advances shall become an obligation of the
Trust subject to such terms and conditions as may be fixed by, and on a
date fixed by, or determined with criteria fixed by the Board of Trustees,
to be amortized over a period or periods to be fixed by the Board.
9. Whenever any action is taken under this Declaration of Trust
including action which is required or permitted by the 1940 Act or any
other applicable law, such action shall be deemed to have been properly
taken if such action is in accordance with the construction of the 1940
Act or such other applicable law then in effect as expressed in "no
action" letters of the staff of the Commission or any release, rule,
regulation or order under the 1940 Act or any decision of a court of
competent jurisdiction, notwithstanding that any of the foregoing shall
later be found to be invalid or otherwise reversed or modified by any of
the foregoing.
10. Any action which may be taken by the Board of Trustees under
this Declaration of Trust or its By-Laws may be taken by the description
thereof in the then effective prospectus and/or statement of additional
information relating to the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 or in
any proxy statement of the Trust rather than by formal resolution of the
Board.
11. Whenever under this Declaration of Trust, the Board of
Trustees is permitted or required to place a value on assets of the Trust,
such action may be delegated by the Board, and/or determined in accordance
with a formula determined by the Board, to the extent permitted by the
1940 Act.
12. If authorized by vote of the Trustees and, if a vote of
Shareholders is required under this Declaration of Trust, the favorable
vote of the holders of a "majority" of the outstanding voting securities,
as defined in the 1940 Act, entitled to vote, or by any larger vote which
may be required by applicable law in any particular case, the Trustees may
amend or otherwise supplement this instrument, by making a Restated
Declaration of Trust or a Declaration of Trust supplemental hereto, which
thereafter shall form a part hereof; any such Supplemental or Restated
Declaration of Trust may be executed by and on behalf of the Trust and the
Trustees by an officer or officers of the Trust.
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this instrument
as of this 5th day of October 1995.
/s/ Leo Cherne /s/ Benjamin Lipstein
- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Leo Cherne Benjamin Lipstein
50 East 79 Street 591 Breezy Hill Road
New York, NY 10021 Hillsdale, NY 12529
/s/ Robert G. Galli /s/ Donald W. Spiro
- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Robert G. Galli Donald W. Spiro
11-54 Shearwater Court 399 Ski Trail
Jersey City, NJ 07305 Kinnelon, NJ 07405
/s/ Leon Levy /s/ Pauline Trigere
- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Leon Levy Pauline Trigere
One Sutton Place South 525 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022 New York, NY 10021
/s/ Sidney M. Robbins /s/ Kenneth A. Randall
- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Sidney M. Robbins Kenneth A. Randall
50 Overlook Road 6 Whittaker's Mill
Ossining, NY 10562 Williamsburg, VA 23185
/s/ Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. /s/ Elizabeth B. Moynihan
- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Elizabeth B. Moynihan
39 Clapboard Ridge Road 801 Pennsylvania Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830 Washington, D.C. 20004
/s/ Edward V. Regan /s/ Clayton K. Yeutter
- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Edward V. Regan Clayton K. Yeutter
40 Park Avenue 1325 Merrie Ridge Road
New York, NY 10016 McLean, VA 22101
ORGZN/790.ed
Exhibit 24(b)(4)(iii)
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
Class C Share Certificate (8-1/2" x 11")
I. FRONT OF CERTIFICATE (All text and other matter lies within
decorative border)
(upper left) box with heading: (upper right) box with heading:
NUMBER (OF SHARES) CLASS C SHARES
(certificate number above)
(centered below boxes)
Oppenheimer California Tax-Exempt Fund
A MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESS TRUST
(at left) (at right)
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT SEE REVERSE FOR
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
(box with number)
CUSIP ____________
(at left)
is the owner of
(centered)
FULLY PAID CLASS C SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST OF
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(hereinafter called the "Fund"), transferable only on the books
of the Fund by the holder hereof in person or by duly authorized
attorney, upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed.
This certificate and the shares represented hereby are issued
and shall be held subject to all of the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust of the Fund to all of which the holder by
acceptance hereof assents. This certificate is not valid until
countersigned by the Transfer Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile seal of the Fund and the signatures of its
duly authorized officers.
(at left of seal) (at right of seal)
(signature) Dated:
/s/ Andrew J. Donohue /s/ Donald W. Spiro
- --------------------- -------------------------
SECRETARY PRESIDENT
(centered at bottom)
1-1/2" diameter facsimile seal
with legend
OPPENHEIMER CALFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
SEAL
1988
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
(at lower right, printed vertically)
Countersigned
OPPENHEIMER SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
(A DIVISION OF OPPENHEIMER MANAGEMENT CORPORATION)
Denver (Colo) Transfer Agent
By
Authorized Signature
II. BACK OF CERTIFICATE (text reads from top to bottom of 11" dimension)
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face
of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out
in full according to applicable laws or regulations.
TEN COM - as tenants in common
TEN ENT - as tenants by the entirety
JT TEN WROS NOT TC - as tenants with rights of survivorship and not as
tenants in common
UNIF GIFT/TRANSFER MIN ACT - __________________ Custodian _______________
(Cust) (Minor)
UNDER UGMA/UTMA ________________
(State)
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
For Value Received __________________ hereby sell(s), and transfer(s) unto
(at right) PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
AND PROVIDE CERTIFICATION BY TRANSFEREE (box below)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print or type name and address of assignee)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------------- Class C Shares of beneficial interest represented by the
within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint.
- --------------------- Attorney to transfer the said shares on the books
of the within named Fund with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated: ---------------------
Signed: __________________________
___________________________________
(Both must sign if joint owners)
Signature(s) --------------------------
guaranteed Name of Guarantor
by --------------------------
Signature of Officer/Title
(text printed vertically to right of above paragraph)
NOTICE: The signature(s) to this assignment must correspond with the
name(s) as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular
without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.
(text printed in box to left of signature guarantee)
Signatures must be guaranteed by a financial institution of the type
described in the current prospectus of the Fund.
(at left) (at right)
PLEASE NOTE: This document contains OppenheimerFunds
a watermark when viewed at an angle. logotype
It is invalid without this watermark.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS SPACE MUST NOT BE COVERED IN ANY WAY
Exhibit 24(b)(15)(ii)
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT
WITH
OPPENHEIMER FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
FOR CLASS B SHARES OF
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT (the "Plan") dated the
12th day of September, 1995, by and between OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA
TAX-EXEMPT FUND (the "Fund") and OPPENHEIMER FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR,
INC. (the "Distributor").
1. The Plan. This Plan is the Fund's written distribution and
service plan for Class B shares of the Fund (the "Shares"),
contemplated by Rule 12b-1 (the "Rule") under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), pursuant to which the Fund
will compensate the Distributor for its services in connection with
the distribution of Shares, and the personal service and
maintenance of shareholder accounts that hold Shares ("Accounts").
The Fund may act as distributor of securities of which it is the
issuer, pursuant to the Rule, according to the terms of this Plan.
The Distributor is authorized under the Plan to pay "Recipients,"
as hereinafter defined, for rendering (1) distribution assistance
in connection with the sale of Shares and/or (2) administrative
support services with respect to Accounts. Such Recipients are
intended to have certain rights as third-party beneficiaries under
this Plan. The terms and provisions of this Plan shall be
interpreted and defined in a manner consistent with the provisions
and definitions contained in (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the Rule, (iii)
Article III, Section 26, of the Rules of Fair Practice of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or its successor
(the "NASD Rules of Fair Practice") and (iv) any conditions
pertaining either to distribution-related expenses or to a plan of
distribution, to which the Fund is subject under any order on which
the Fund relies, issued at any time by the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
2. Definitions. As used in this Plan, the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
(a) "Recipient" shall mean any broker, dealer, bank or other
person or entity which: (i) has rendered assistance (whether
direct, administrative or both) in the distribution of Shares
or has provided administrative support services with respect
to Shares held by Customers (defined below) of the Recipient;
(ii) shall furnish the Distributor (on behalf of the Fund)
with such information as the Distributor shall reasonably
request to answer such questions as may arise concerning the
sale of Shares; and (iii) has been selected by the Distributor
to receive payments under the Plan. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees (the
"Board") who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the
1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial
interest in the operation of this Plan or in any agreements
relating to this Plan (the "Independent Trustees") may remove
any broker, dealer, bank or other person or entity as a
Recipient, whereupon such person's or entity's rights as a
third-party beneficiary hereof shall terminate.
(b) "Qualified Holdings" shall mean, as to any Recipient, all
Shares owned beneficially or of record by: (i) such Recipient,
or (ii) such customers, clients and/or accounts as to which
such Recipient is a fiduciary or custodian or co-fiduciary or
co-custodian (collectively, the "Customers"), but in no event
shall any such Shares be deemed owned by more than one
Recipient for purposes of this Plan. In the event that more
than one person or entity would otherwise qualify as
Recipients as to the same Shares, the Recipient which is the
dealer of record on the Fund's books as determined by the
Distributor shall be deemed the Recipient as to such Shares
for purposes of this Plan.
3. Payments for Distribution Assistance and Administrative
Support Services.
(a) The Fund will make payments to the Distributor, (i)
within forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar
quarter, in the aggregate amount of 0.0625% (0.25% on an
annual basis) of the average during the calendar quarter of
the aggregate net asset value of the Shares computed as of the
close of each business day (the "Service Fee"), plus (ii)
within ten (10) days of the end of each month, in the
aggregate amount of 0.0625% (0.75% on an annual basis) of the
average during the month of the aggregate net asset value of
Shares computed as of the close of each business day (the
"Asset-Based Sales Charge") outstanding for six years or less
(the "Maximum Holding Period"). Such Service Fee payments
received from the Fund will compensate the Distributor and
Recipients for providing administrative support services with
respect to Accounts. Such Asset-Based Sales Charge payments
received from the Fund will compensate the Distributor and
Recipients for providing distribution assistance in connection
with the sale of Shares.
The administrative support services in connection with
the Accounts to be rendered by Recipients may include, but
shall not be limited to, the following: answering routine
inquiries concerning the Fund, assisting in the establishment
and maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in the Fund and
processing Share redemption transactions, making the Fund's
investment plans and dividend payment options available, and
providing such other information and services in connection
with the rendering of personal services and/or the maintenance
of Accounts, as the Distributor or the Fund may reasonably
request.
The distribution assistance in connection with the sale
of Shares to be rendered by the Distributor and Recipients may
include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
distributing sales literature and prospectuses other than
those furnished to current holders of the Fund's Shares
("Shareholders"), and providing such other information and
services in connection with the distribution of Shares as the
Distributor or the Fund may reasonably request.
It may be presumed that a Recipient has provided
distribution assistance or administrative support services
qualifying for payment under the Plan if it has Qualified
Holdings of Shares to entitle it to payments under the Plan.
In the event that either the Distributor or the Board should
have reason to believe that, notwithstanding the level of
Qualified Holdings, a Recipient may not be rendering
appropriate distribution assistance in connection with the
sale of Shares or administrative support services for
Accounts, then the Distributor, at the request of the Board,
shall require the Recipient to provide a written report or
other information to verify that said Recipient is providing
appropriate distribution assistance and/or services in this
regard. If the Distributor or the Board of Trustees still is
not satisfied, either may take appropriate steps to terminate
the Recipient's status as such under the Plan, whereupon such
Recipient's rights as a third-party beneficiary hereunder
shall terminate.
(b) The Distributor shall make service fee payments to any
Recipient quarterly, within forty-five (45) days of the end of
each calendar quarter, at a rate not to exceed 0.0625% (0.25%
on an annual basis) of the average during the calendar quarter
of the aggregate net asset value of Shares computed as of the
close of each business day, constituting Qualified Holdings
owned beneficially or of record by the Recipient or by its
Customers for a period of more than the minimum period (the
"Minimum Holding Period"), if any, to be set from time to time
by a majority of the Independent Trustees.
Alternatively, the Distributor may, at its sole option,
make service fee payments ("Advance Service Fee Payments") to
any Recipient quarterly, within forty-five (45) days of the
end of each calendar quarter, at a rate not to exceed (i)
0.25% of the average during the calendar quarter of the
aggregate net asset value of Shares, computed as of the close
of business on the day such Shares are sold, constituting
Qualified Holdings sold by the Recipient during that quarter
and owned beneficially or of record by the Recipient or by its
Customers, plus (ii) 0.0625% (0.25% on an annual basis) of the
average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset
value of Shares computed as of the close of each business day,
constituting Qualified Holdings owned beneficially or of
record by the Recipient or by its Customers for a period of
more than one (1) year, subject to reduction or chargeback so
that the Advance Service Fee Payments do not exceed the limits
on payments to Recipients that are, or may be, imposed by
Article III, Section 26, of the NASD Rules of Fair Practice.
In the event Shares are redeemed less than one year after the
date such Shares were sold, the Recipient is obligated and
will repay to the Distributor on demand a pro rata portion of
such Advance Service Fee Payments, based on the ratio of the
time such shares were held to one (1) year.
The Advance Service Fee Payments described in part (i) of
this paragraph (b) may, at the Distributor's sole option, be
made more often than quarterly, and sooner than the end of the
calendar quarter. However, no such payments shall be made to
any Recipient for any such quarter in which its Qualified
Holdings do not equal or exceed, at the end of such quarter,
the minimum amount ("Minimum Qualified Holdings"), if any, to
be set from time to time by a majority of the Independent
Trustees.
A majority of the Independent Trustees may at any time or
from time to time decrease and thereafter adjust the rate of
fees to be paid to the Distributor or to any Recipient, but
not to exceed the rate set forth above, and/or direct the
Distributor to increase or decrease the Minimum Holding Period
or the Minimum Qualified Holdings. The Distributor shall
notify all Recipients of the Minimum Qualified Holdings,
Maximum Holding Period and Minimum Holding Period, if any, and
the rate of payments hereunder applicable to Recipients, and
shall provide each Recipient with written notice within thirty
(30) days after any change in these provisions. Inclusion of
such provisions or a change in such provisions in a revised
current prospectus shall constitute sufficient notice. The
Distributor may make Plan payments to any "affiliated person"
(as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Distributor if such
affiliated person qualifies as a Recipient.
(c) The Service Fee and the Asset-Based Sales Charge on
Shares are subject to reduction or elimination of such amounts
under the limits to which the Distributor is, or may become,
subject under Article III, Section 26, of the NASD Rules of
Fair Practice. The distribution assistance and administrative
support services to be rendered by the Distributor in
connection with the Shares may include, but shall not be
limited to, the following: (i) paying sales commissions to any
broker, dealer, bank or other person or entity that sells
Shares, and\or paying such persons Advance Service Fee
Payments in advance of, and\or greater than, the amount
provided for in Section 3(b) of this Agreement; (ii) paying
compensation to and expenses of personnel of the Distributor
who support distribution of Shares by Recipients; (iii)
obtaining financing or providing such financing from its own
resources, or from an affiliate, for the interest and other
borrowing costs of the Distributor's unreimbursed expenses
incurred in rendering distribution assistance and
administrative support services to the Fund; (iv) paying other
direct distribution costs, including without limitation the
costs of sales literature, advertising and prospectuses (other
than those furnished to current Shareholders) and state "blue
sky" registration expenses; and (v) any service rendered by
the Distributor that a Recipient may render pursuant to part
(a) of this Section 3. Such services include distribution
assistance and administrative support services rendered in
connection with Shares acquired (i) by purchase, (ii) in
exchange for shares of another investment company for which
the Distributor serves as distributor or sub-distributor, or
(ii) pursuant to a plan of reorganization to which the Fund is
a party. In the event that the Board should have reason to
believe that the Distributor may not be rendering appropriate
distribution assistance or administrative support services in
connection with the sale of Shares, then the Distributor, at
the request of the Board, shall provide the Board with a
written report or other information to verify that the
Distributor is providing appropriate services in this regard.
(d) Under the Plan, payments may be made to Recipients: (i)
by Oppenheimer Management Corporation ("OMC") from its own
resources (which may include profits derived from the advisory
fee it receives from the Fund), or (ii) by the Distributor (a
subsidiary of OMC), from its own resources, from Asset-Based
Sales Charge payments or from its borrowings.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, this
Plan does not obligate or in any way make the Fund liable to
make any payment whatsoever to any person or entity other than
directly to the Distributor. In no event shall the amounts to
be paid to the Distributor exceed the rate of fees to be paid
by the Fund to the Distributor set forth in paragraph (a) of
this section 3.
4. Selection and Nomination of Trustees. While this Plan is in
effect, the selection and nomination of those persons to be
Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" of the Fund
("Disinterested Trustees") shall be committed to the discretion of
such Disinterested Trustees. Nothing herein shall prevent the
Disinterested Trustees from soliciting the views or the involvement
of others in such selection or nomination if the final decision on
any such selection and nomination is approved by a majority of the
incumbent Disinterested Trustees.
5. Reports. While this Plan is in effect, the Treasurer of the
Fund shall provide written reports to the Fund's Board for its
review, detailing services rendered in connection with the
distribution of the Shares, the amount of all payments made and the
purpose for which the payments were made. The reports shall be
provided quarterly, and shall state whether all provisions of
Section 3 of this Plan have been complied with.
6. Related Agreements. Any agreement related to this Plan shall
be in writing and shall provide that: (i) such agreement may be
terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by a vote
of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by a vote of the
holders of a "majority" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund's
outstanding voting securities of the Class, on not more than sixty
days written notice to any other party to the agreement; (ii) such
agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act); (iii) it shall go into
effect when approved by a vote of the Board and its Independent
Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such agreement; and (iv) it shall, unless terminated as
herein provided, continue in effect from year to year only so long
as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by
a vote of the Board and its Independent Trustees cast in person at
a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance.
7. Effectiveness, Continuation, Termination and Amendment. This
Plan has been approved by a vote of the Board and its Independent
Trustees cast in person at a meeting called on March 16, 1995, for
the purpose of voting on this Plan, and shall take effect after
approval by the Class B shareholders of the Fund, at which time it
shall replace the Fund's Distribution and Service Plan and
Agreement dated February 10, 1994. Unless terminated as
hereinafter provided, it shall continue in effect until December
31, 1995 and from year to year thereafter or as the Board may
otherwise determine only so long as such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board and
its Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such continuance. This Plan may not be
amended to increase materially the amount of payments to be made
without approval of the Class B Shareholders, in the manner
described above, and all material amendments must be approved by a
vote of the Board and of the Independent Trustees. This Plan may
be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Independent
Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a "majority" (as defined
in the 1940 Act) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities of the
Class. In the event of such termination, the Board and its
Independent Trustees shall determine whether the Distributor shall
be entitled to payment from the Fund of all or a portion of the
Service Fee and/or the Asset-Based Sales Charge in respect of
Shares sold prior to the effective date of such termination.
8. Disclaimer of Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The
Distributor understands that the obligations of the Fund under this
Plan are not binding upon any Trustee or shareholder of the Fund
personally, but bind only the Fund and the Fund's property. The
Distributor represents that it has notice of the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust of the Fund disclaiming shareholder and
Trustee liability for acts or obligations of the Fund.
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
/s/ Robert G. Zack
By: --------------------------------
Robert G. Zack, Assistant
Secretary
OPPENHEIMER FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
By: /s/ Katherine P. Feld
--------------------------
Katherine P. Feld, Vice President
& Secretary
OFMI\790B#2
Exhibit 24(b)(15)(iii)
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT
WITH
OPPENHEIMER FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
FOR CLASS C SHARES OF
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT (the "Plan") dated the 1st day
of November, 1995, by and between OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
(the "Fund") and OPPENHEIMER FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC. (the "Distributor").
1. The Plan. This Plan is the Fund's written distribution and service
plan for Class C shares of the Fund (the "Shares"), contemplated by Rule
12b-1 (the "Rule") under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940
Act"), pursuant to which the Fund will compensate the Distributor for its
services incurred in connection with the distribution of Shares, and the
personal service and maintenance of shareholder accounts that hold Shares
("Accounts"). The Fund may act as distributor of securities of which it
is the issuer, pursuant to the Rule, according to the terms of this Plan.
The Distributor is authorized under the Plan to pay "Recipients," as
hereinafter defined, for rendering (1) distribution assistance in
connection with the sale of Shares and/or (2) administrative support
services with respect to Accounts. Such Recipients are intended to have
certain rights as third-party beneficiaries under this Plan. The terms
and provisions of this Plan shall be interpreted and defined in a manner
consistent with the provisions and definitions contained in (i) the 1940
Act, (ii) the Rule, (iii) Article III, Section 26, of the Rules of Fair
Practice of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or its
successor (the "NASD Rules of Fair Practice") and (iv) any conditions
pertaining either to distribution related expenses or to a plan of
distribution, to which the Fund is subject under any order on which the
Fund relies, issued at any time by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2. Definitions. As used in this Plan, the following terms shall have
the following meanings:
(a) "Recipient" shall mean any broker, dealer, bank or other person or
entity which: (i) has rendered assistance (whether direct,
administrative or both) in the distribution of Shares or has provided
administrative support services with respect to Shares held by
Customers (defined below) of the Recipient; (ii) shall furnish the
Distributor (on behalf of the Fund) with such information as the
Distributor shall reasonably request to answer such questions as may
arise concerning the sale of Shares; and (iii) has been selected by the
Distributor to receive payments under the Plan. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees the "Board") who
are not "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have
no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan
or in any agreements relating to this Plan (the "Independent Trustees")
may remove any broker, dealer, bank or other person or entity as a
Recipient, whereupon such person's or entity's rights as a third-party
beneficiary hereof shall terminate.
(b) "Qualified Holdings" shall mean, as to any Recipient, all Shares
owned beneficially or of record by: (i) such Recipient, or (ii) such
customers, clients and/or accounts as to which such Recipient is a
fiduciary or custodian or co-fiduciary or co-custodian (collectively,
the "Customers"), but in no event shall any such Shares be deemed owned
by more than one Recipient for purposes of this Plan. In the event
that more than one person or entity would otherwise qualify as
Recipients as to the same Shares, the Recipient which is the dealer of
record on the Fund's books as determined by the Distributor shall be
deemed the Recipient as to such Shares for purposes of this Plan.
3. Payments for Distribution Assistance and Administrative Support
Services.
(a) The Fund will make payments to the Distributor, within forty-five
(45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, in the aggregate amount
(i) of 0.0625% (0.25% on an annual basis) of the average during the
calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset value of the Shares
computed as of the close of each business day (the "Service Fee"), plus
(ii) 0.1875% (0.75% on an annual basis) of the average during the
calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset value of the Shares
computed as of the close of each business day (the "Asset Based Sales
Charge"). Such Service Fee payments received from the Fund will
compensate the Distributor and Recipients for providing administrative
support services with respect to Accounts. Such Asset Based Sales
Charge payments received from the Fund will compensate the Distributor
and Recipients for providing distribution assistance in connection with
the sale of Shares.
The administrative support services in connection with the Accounts
to be rendered by Recipients may include, but shall not be limited to,
the following: answering routine inquiries concerning the Fund,
assisting in establishing and maintaining accounts or sub-accounts in
the Fund and processing Share redemption transactions, making the
Fund's investment plans and dividend payment options available, and
providing such other information and services in connection with the
rendering of personal services and/or the maintenance of Accounts, as
the Distributor or the Fund may reasonably request. The distribution
assistance in connection with the sale of Shares to be rendered by
Recipients may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
distributing sales literature and prospectuses other than those
furnished to current holders of the Fund's Shares ("Shareholders"), and
providing such other information and services in connection with the
distribution of Shares as the Distributor or the Fund may reasonably
request. It may be presumed that a Recipient has provided distribution
assistance or administrative support services qualifying for payment
under the Plan if it has Qualified Holdings of Shares to entitle it to
payments under the Plan. In the event that either the Distributor or
the Board should have reason to believe that, notwithstanding the level
of Qualified Holdings, a Recipient may not be rendering appropriate
distribution assistance in connection with the sale of Shares or
administrative support services for the Accounts, then the Distributor,
at the request of the Board, shall require the Recipient to provide a
written report or other information to verify that said Recipient is
providing appropriate distribution assistance and/or services in this
regard. If the Distributor or the Board of Trustees still is not
satisfied, either may take appropriate steps to terminate the
Recipient's status as such under the Plan, whereupon such Recipient's
rights as a third-party beneficiary hereunder shall terminate.
(b) The Distributor shall make service fee payments to any Recipient
quarterly, within forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar
quarter, at a rate not to exceed 0.0625% (0.25% on an annual basis) of
the average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset
value of Shares, computed as of the close of each business day
constituting Qualified Holdings owned beneficially or of record by the
Recipient or by its Customers for a period of more than the minimum
period (the "Minimum Holding Period"), if any, to be set from time to
time by a majority of the Independent Trustees. Alternatively, the
Distributor may, at its sole option, make service fee payments
("Advance Service Fee Payments") to any Recipient quarterly, within
forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, at a rate not
to exceed (i) 0.25% of the average during the calendar quarter of the
aggregate net asset value of Shares computed as of the close of
business on the day such Shares are sold, constituting Qualified
Holdings sold by the Recipient during that quarter and owned
beneficially or of record by the Recipient or by its Customers, plus
(ii) 0.0625% (0.25% on an annual basis) of the average during the
calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset value of Shares computed
as of the close of each business day, constituting Qualified Holdings
owned beneficially or of record by the Recipient or by its Customers
for a period of more than one (1) year, subject to reduction or
chargeback so that the Advance Service Fee Payments do not exceed the
limits on payments to Recipients that are, or may be, imposed by
Article III, Section 26, of the NASD Rules of Fair Practice. In the
event Shares are redeemed less than one year after the date such Shares
were sold, the Recipient is obligated and will repay to the Distributor
on demand a pro rata portion of such Advance Service Fee Payments,
based on the ratio of the time such shares were held to one (1) year.
The Advance Service Fee Payments described in part (i) of the preceding
sentence may, at the Distributor's sole option, be made more often than
quarterly, and sooner than the end of the calendar quarter. In
addition, the Distributor shall make asset-based sales charge payments
to any Recipient quarterly, within forty-five (45) days of the end of
each calendar quarter, at a rate not to exceed 0.1875% (0.75% on an
annual basis) of the average during the calendar quarter of the
aggregate net asset value of Shares computed as of the close of each
business day constituting Qualified Holdings owned beneficially or of
record by the Recipient or its Customers for a period of more than one
(1) year. However, no such service fee or asset-based sales charge
payments (collectively, the "Recipient Payments") shall be made to any
Recipient for any such quarter in which its Qualified Holdings do not
equal or exceed, at the end of such quarter, the minimum amount
("Minimum Qualified Holdings"), if any, to be set from time to time by
a majority of the Independent Trustees. A majority of the Independent
Trustees may at any time or from time to time decrease and thereafter
adjust the rate of fees to be paid to the Distributor or to any
Recipient, but not to exceed the rates set forth above, and/or direct
the Distributor to increase or decrease the Minimum Holding Period or
the Minimum Qualified Holdings. The Distributor shall notify all
Recipients of the Minimum Qualified Holdings or Minimum Holding Period,
if any, and the rates of Recipient Payments hereunder applicable to
Recipients, and shall provide each Recipient with written notice within
thirty (30) days after any change in these provisions. Inclusion of
such provisions or a change in such provisions in a revised current
prospectus shall constitute sufficient notice. The Distributor may
make Plan payments to any "affiliated person" (as defined in the 1940
Act) of the Distributor if such affiliated person qualifies as a
Recipient.
(c) The Service Fee and the Asset-Based Sales Charge on Shares are
subject to reduction or elimination of such amounts under the limits
to which the Distributor is, or may become, subject under Article III,
Section 26, of the NASD Rules of Fair Practice. The distribution
assistance and administrative support services to be rendered by the
Distributor in connection with the Shares may include, but shall not
be limited to, the following: (i) paying sales commissions to any
broker, dealer, bank or other person or entity that sell Shares, and/or
paying such persons Advance Service Fee Payments in advance of, and/or
greater than, the amount provided for in Section 3(b) of this
Agreement; (ii) paying compensation to and expenses of personnel of the
Distributor who support distribution of Shares by Recipients; (iii)
obtaining financing or providing such financing from its own resources,
or from an affiliate, for the interest and other borrowing costs of the
Distributor's unreimbursed expenses incurred in rendering distribution
assistance and administrative support services to the Fund; (iv) paying
other direct distribution costs, including without limitation the costs
of sales literature, advertising and prospectuses (other than those
furnished to current Shareholders) and state "blue sky" registration
expenses; and (v) providing any service rendered by the Distributor
that a Recipient may render pursuant to part (a) of this Section 3.
Such services include distribution assistance and administrative
support services rendered in connection with Shares acquired (i) by
purchase, (ii) in exchange for shares of another investment company for
which the Distributor serves as distributor or sub-distributor, or (ii)
pursuant to a plan of reorganization to which the Fund is a party. In
the event that the Board should have reason to believe that the
Distributor may not be rendering appropriate distribution assistance
or administrative support services in connection with the sale of
Shares, then the Distributor, at the request of the Board, shall
provide the Board with a written report or other information to verify
that the Distributor is providing appropriate services in this regard.
(d) Under the Plan, payments may be made to Recipients: (i) by
Oppenheimer Management Corporation ("OMC") from its own resources
(which may include profits derived from the advisory fee it receives
from the Fund), or (ii) by the Distributor (a subsidiary of OMC), from
its own resources, from Asset Based Sales Charge payments or from its
borrowings.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, this Plan does
not obligate or in any way make the Fund liable to make any payment
whatsoever to any person or entity other than directly to the
Distributor. In no event shall the amounts to be paid to the
Distributor exceed the rate of fees to be paid by the Fund to the
Distributor set forth in paragraph (a) of this section 3.
4. Selection and Nomination of Trustees. While this Plan is in effect,
the selection and nomination of those persons to be Trustees of the Fund
who are not "interested persons" of the Fund ("Disinterested Trustees")
shall be committed to the discretion of such Disinterested Trustees.
Nothing herein shall prevent the Disinterested Trustees from soliciting
the views or the involvement of others in such selection or nomination if
the final decision on any such selection and nomination is approved by a
majority of the incumbent Disinterested Trustees.
5. Reports. While this Plan is in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund
shall provide written reports to the Fund's Board for its review,
detailing services rendered in connection with the distribution of the
Shares, the amount of all payments made and the purpose for which the
payments were made. The reports shall be provided quarterly and shall
state whether all provisions of Section 3 of this Plan have been complied
with.
6. Related Agreements. Any agreement related to this Plan shall be in
writing and shall provide that: (i) such agreement may be terminated at
any time, without payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the
Independent Trustees or by a vote of the holders of a "majority" (as
defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities of
the Class, on not more than sixty days written notice to any other party
to the agreement; (ii) such agreement shall automatically terminate in the
event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act); (iii) it shall go
into effect when approved by a vote of the Board and its Independent
Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such agreement; and (iv) it shall, unless terminated as herein provided,
continue in effect from year to year only so long as such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board and its
Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose
of voting on such continuance.
7. Effectiveness, Continuation, Termination and Amendment. This Plan
has been approved by a vote of the Board and its Independent Trustees cast
in person at a meeting called on March 16, 1995 for the purpose of voting
on this Plan, and takes effect as of the date first set forth above.
Unless terminated as hereinafter provided, it shall continue in effect
from year to year from the date first set forth above or as the Board may
otherwise determine only so long as such continuance is specifically
approved at least annually by a vote of the Board and its Independent
Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such continuance. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the
amount of payments to be made without approval of the Class C
Shareholders, in the manner described above, and all material amendments
must be approved by a vote of the Board and of the Independent Trustees.
This Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the
Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a "majority" (as
defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities of
the Class. In the event of such termination, the Board and its
Independent Trustees shall determine whether the Distributor is entitled
to payment from the Fund of all or a portion of the Service Fee and/or the
Asset-Based Sales Charge in respect of Shares sold prior to the effective
date of such termination.
8. Disclaimer of Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The Distributor
understands that the obligations of the Fund under this Plan are not
binding upon any Trustee or shareholder of the Fund personally, but bind
only the Fund and the Fund's property. The Distributor represents that
it has notice of the provisions of the Declaration of Trust of the Fund
disclaiming shareholder and Trustee liability for acts or obligations of
the Fund.
OPPENHEIMER CALIFORNIA TAX-EXEMPT FUND
By: /s/ Robert G. Zack
----------------------------------
Robert G. Zack, Assistant Secretary
OPPENHEIMER FUNDS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
By: /s/ Katherine P. Feld
----------------------------------
Katherine P. Feld, Vice President
and Secretary
