(a) An officer with discretionary authority shall discharge his or her duties under that authority:
(1) In good faith;
(2) With the care an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances; and
(3) In a manner the officer reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation.
(b) The duty of an officer shall include the obligation to inform:
(1) The superior officer to whom, or the board of directors or the committee thereof to which, the officer reports of information about the affairs of the nonprofit corporation known to the officer, within the scope of the officer’s functions, and known to the officer to be material to the superior officer, board, or committee; and
(2) His or her superior officer, or another appropriate person within the nonprofit corporation, or the board of directors, or a committee thereof, of any actual or probable material violation of law involving the corporation or material breach of duty to the corporation by an officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, that the officer believes has occurred or is likely to occur.
(c) In discharging his or her duties, an officer who does not have knowledge that makes reliance unwarranted may rely on information, opinions, reports, or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, if prepared or presented by:
(1) One or more officers or employees of the nonprofit corporation whom the officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the functions performed or the information, opinions, reports, or statements provided;
(2) Legal counsel, public accountants, or other persons retained by the corporation as to matters involving skills or expertise the officer reasonably believes are matters:
(A) Within the particular person’s professional or expert competence; or
(B) As to which the particular person merits confidence;
(3) In the case of a religious corporation, religious authorities and ministers, priests, rabbis, imams, or other persons whose positions or duties the officer reasonably believes justify reliance and confidence and whom the officer believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented.
(July 2, 2011, D.C. Law 18-378, § 2, 58 DCR 1720; Mar. 5, 2013, D.C. Law 19-210, § 2(d)(12), 59 DCR 13171.)
The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-210 substituted “religious corporation” for “corporation engaged in a religious activity” in (c)(3).
Application of Law 19-210: Section 7 of D.C. Law 19-210 provided that the act shall apply as of January 1, 2012.
Structure District of Columbia Code