(a) The board of directors of a benefit corporation that is a publicly traded corporation shall, and the board of any other benefit corporation may, include a director who shall (1) be designated the benefit director, and (2) have, in addition to the powers, duties, rights and immunities of the other directors of the benefit corporation, the powers, duties, rights and immunities provided in sections 33-1352 to 33-1364, inclusive.

(b) The benefit director shall be elected, and may be removed, in the manner provided under chapter 601. The benefit director shall be an individual who is independent. The benefit director may serve as the benefit officer at the same time as serving as the benefit director. The certificate of incorporation or bylaws or a shareholder agreement of a benefit corporation may prescribe additional qualifications of the benefit director that are consistent with this subsection.

(c) The benefit director shall prepare, and the benefit corporation shall include in the annual benefit report to its shareholders required by section 33-1363, the opinion of the benefit director on each of the following: (1) Whether the benefit corporation acted in accordance with its general public benefit purpose and any specific public benefit purpose in all material respects during the period covered by the report, (2) whether the directors and officers complied with subsection (a) of section 33-1358 and subsection (a) of section 33-1360, respectively, and (3) if, in the opinion of the benefit director, the benefit corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply with subsection (a) of section 33-1358 or subsection (a) of section 33-1360, a description of the ways in which the benefit corporation or the corporation's directors or officers failed to comply.

(d) The act or omission of an individual in the capacity of a benefit director shall constitute for all purposes an act or omission of that individual in the capacity of a director of the benefit corporation.

(e) Regardless of whether the certificate of incorporation of a benefit corporation includes a provision limiting the personal liability of directors, as authorized by chapter 601, a benefit director shall not be personally liable for any act or omission in the capacity of a benefit director unless the act or omission constitutes self-dealing, wilful misconduct or a knowing violation of law.

(P.A. 14-217, S. 149.)