(a) Any insurance, railroad, canal, navigation, express, or telegraph company, incorporated prior to April 1, 1969, by special Act of the General Assembly, may amend its charter so as to acquire any or all of the corporate powers and privileges granted to a like corporation under the Acts passed prior to April 1, 1969, or thereafter, providing for the grant of corporate powers and privileges to such companies by the Secretary of State, by filing with the Secretary of State an application signed with the corporate name stating the name and character of the corporation, the date of the original Act of incorporation and all amendments thereto, and that it desires an amendment to its charter by having granted to it the corporate powers and privileges granted to similar corporations by the Act or certain specified sections of the Act, providing for the grant of corporate powers and privileges to such corporations by the Secretary of State, and by paying to the Secretary of State the fee provided by law, to be paid by him into the state treasury. The company shall file along with the application an abstract from the minutes of the corporation, duly certified by the president and secretary of the corporation, which abstract shows that the application for amendment has been authorized by resolution which has been duly adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote thereon at a meeting held for the purpose of passing upon the resolution.

(b) Whenever any insurance company incorporated by special Act of the General Assembly which is permitted by its charter to do other than a fire insurance business desires to abandon the same or any part thereof, it may, upon application to the Secretary of State, relinquish and surrender any or all of the powers and privileges granted to it for the conduct of such other business, provided no rights of contract are thereby violated.