Section 717. Duty of directors and officers  


Latest version.
  • (a)  Directors  and  officers  shall  discharge  the  duties  of their
      respective positions in good faith and with that  degree  of  diligence,
      care and skill which ordinarily prudent men would exercise under similar
      circumstances  in like positions. In the administration of the powers to
      make  and  retain  investments  pursuant  to  section  512   (Investment
      authority),   to   appropriate  appreciation  pursuant  to  section  513
      (Administration of  assets  received  for  specific  purposes),  and  to
      delegate  investment  management  of  institutional  funds  pursuant  to
      section 514 (Delegation of investment  management),  a  governing  board
      shall  consider  among  other relevant considerations the long and short
      term needs of the corporation in carrying out its purposes, its  present
      and  anticipated  financial  requirements,  expected total return on its
      investments, price level trends, and general economic conditions.
        (b) In discharging their duties, directors and officers,  when  acting
      in  good faith, may rely on information, opinions, reports or statements
      including financial statements and other financial data,  in  each  case
      prepared  or  presented by: (1) one or more officers or employees of the
      corporation, whom the director believes to be reliable and competent  in
      the  matters presented, (2) counsel, public accountants or other persons
      as to matters which the directors or officers believe to be within  such
      person's  professional  or  expert  competence or (3) a committee of the
      board upon which they do not serve, duly designated in accordance with a
      provision of the certificate of  incorporation  or  the  bylaws,  as  to
      matters  within  its designated authority, which committee the directors
      or officers believe to merit confidence, so long as in so  relying  they
      shall  be acting in good faith and with that degree of care specified in
      paragraph (a) of this section.  Persons shall not be  considered  to  be
      acting  in  good  faith  if they have knowledge concerning the matter in
      question that would cause such reliance to be unwarranted.  Persons  who
      so  perform  their  duties shall have no liability by reason of being or
      having been directors or officers of the corporation.