(a) General rule.--

(1) The board of directors of a benefit corporation which is a registered corporation shall include a director who:

(i) shall be designated as the benefit director; and

(ii) shall have, in addition to all of the powers, duties, rights and immunities of the other directors of the benefit corporation, the powers, duties, rights and immunities provided in this subchapter.

(2) The board of directors of a benefit corporation which is not a registered corporation may include a director who:

(i) shall be designated as the benefit director; and

(ii) shall have, in addition to all of the powers, duties, rights and immunities of the other directors of the benefit corporation, the powers, duties, rights and immunities provided in this subchapter.

(b) Election, removal and qualifications.--The benefit director shall be elected and may be removed in the manner provided under Subchapter C of Chapter 17 (relating to directors and officers). Except as set forth in subsection (e)(2)(i) or (g), 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 articles or bylaws of a benefit corporation may prescribe additional qualifications of the benefit director not inconsistent with this subsection.

(c) Annual compliance statement.--The benefit director shall prepare, and the benefit corporation shall include in the annual benefit report to shareholders required under section 3331 (relating to annual benefit report), a statement whether, in the opinion of the benefit director, the benefit corporation acted in accordance with its general and any specific public benefit purpose in all material respects during the period covered by the report and whether the directors and officers complied with sections 3321(a) (relating to standard of conduct for directors) and 3323(a) (relating to standard of conduct for officers), respectively. If, in the opinion of the benefit director, the benefit corporation or its directors or officers failed so to act, then the statement of the benefit director shall include a description of the ways in which the benefit corporation or its directors or officers failed so to act.

(d) Status of actions.--The acts of an individual in the capacity of a benefit director shall constitute for all purposes acts of that individual in the capacity of a director of the benefit corporation.

(e) Alternative governance arrangements.--(Deleted by amendment).

(f) Exoneration from personal liability.--Regardless of whether the bylaws of a benefit corporation include a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors authorized under section 1713 (relating to personal liability of directors), 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, willful misconduct or a knowing violation of law.

(g) Professional corporations.--The benefit director of a professional corporation does not need to be independent.

(July 9, 2013, P.L.476, No.67, eff. 60 days; Nov. 21, 2016, P.L.1328, No.170, eff. 90 days)

2016 Amendment. Act 170 deleted subsec. (e).

2013 Amendment. Act 67 amended subsecs. (a) and (b) and added subsec. (g).

Cross References. Section 3322 is referred to in sections 3302, 3331 of this title.