Effective 28 Aug 2005

86.1470. Board may purchase liability insurance — indemnification, when. — 1. The retirement board may purchase with retirement system assets from one or more insurers licensed to do business in this state one or more insurance policies that provide for reimbursement of the retirement system and any trustee, member of the retirement board, officer, or employee of the retirement system for liability imposed or damages because of an alleged act, error, or omission committed in the trustee's, board member's, officer's, or employee's capacity as a fiduciary, officer, or employee of the retirement system and for costs and expenses, including attorney fees, incurred as a trustee, board member, officer, or employee in defense of a claim for an alleged act, error, or omission, as long as the insurance policy does not provide for reimbursement of a trustee, board member, officer, or employee for liability imposed or expenses incurred because of the trustee's, board member's, officer's, or employee's personal dishonesty, fraud, lack of good faith, or intentional failure to act prudently.

2. If the insurance coverage described in subsection 1 of this section is insufficient or is not in effect, the retirement board may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a member of the retirement board, or is or was serving at the request of the retirement board in the capacity which caused the person's relationship to such action, suit, or proceeding, against expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit, or proceeding, if the person acted in good faith and without willful malfeasance, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe the relevant conduct was lawful. The termination of any action, suit, or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, that the person did not have reasonable cause to believe that the relevant conduct was lawful.

3. To the extent that a member of the retirement board has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit, or proceeding referred to in subsections 1 and 2 of this section, or in defense of any claim, issue, or matter therein, the person shall be indemnified against expenses, including attorneys' fees, actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the action, suit, or proceeding that are not covered by the insurance described in subsection 1 of this section.

4. Any indemnification under this section, unless ordered by a court, shall be made by the retirement board only as authorized in each specific case upon a determination that indemnification of any person potentially entitled to indemnification hereunder is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this section. The determination shall be made by the retirement board by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of members of the retirement board who are not parties to the action, suit, or proceeding, or if such a quorum is not obtainable, or even if obtainable and a quorum of disinterested members of the retirement board so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Such legal counsel may but need not be counsel to the retirement system.

5. Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit, or proceeding may be paid by the retirement board in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit, or proceeding as authorized by the retirement board in the specific case upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the person potentially entitled to indemnification hereunder to repay such amount unless it shall ultimately be determined that the person is entitled to be indemnified by the retirement board as authorized in this section.

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(L. 2005 H.B. 323)