MOSCOW, July 30 The State Duma adopted in the second and third readings a law that will allow organizations to suspend dividend payments to so-called «lost» shareholders — those who have not been in touch for more than two years and there is no up-to-date information about them.
The decision to suspend dividend payments is made by the board of directors (supervisory board) of a JSC or another body of a non-public company. This will be possible if three conditions are met simultaneously. 
Firstly, if for at least two years in a row before the decision on such suspension was made, the joint-stock company received back the money transferred to such shareholders as dividends. Secondly, the organization transferred dividends during this period at least twice. Thirdly, if within five working days before the decision on suspension was made, the JSC registrar did not receive up-to-date information about the shareholder required for the payment of dividends, or a shareholder's statement confirming the relevance of the information from the shareholder register.
JSC will be required to keep records of shareholders to whom dividend payments have been suspended. JSC must also resume payments after entering the necessary up-to-date information into the register, including information on the postal address of the individual shareholder (for payments by mail) or bank details (for payments by bank transfer). Payment of dividends will resume automatically after the registrar receives an application from the shareholder confirming the relevance of the information contained in the register.
The corresponding changes are contained in a new article included in the law on joint-stock companies. At the same time, the charter of a non-public joint-stock company may stipulate that the provisions of this article do not apply to it.
In addition, amendments are being made to the law on the securities market. They give the right to a person who has not received payments on securities due to the issuer's registrar not having the exact and necessary bank details, or due to another delay by the creditor, to demand that these payments be made. This right will be valid for three years from the date when the issuer was supposed to make these payments, unless a longer period is provided for by federal law.
The law, which also contains other amendments, will enter into force on March 1, 2025, and the provisions on the suspension of dividend payments — immediately after publication. And from September 1, 2027, payment of dividends by postal transfer will be possible only if this is provided for by the charter of the JSC.