SENATE BILL No. 1232

 

March 18, 2010, Introduced by Senators RICHARDVILLE and NOFS and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1857 PA 72, entitled

 

"An act amendatory to the several acts in relation to the Wesleyan

Seminary at Albion, and the Albion Female Collegiate Institute,"

 

by amending section 2 (MCL 390.702) and by adding sections 1a, 7,

 

7a, 7b, and 7c; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1a. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Board of trustees" means the board of trustees of Albion

 

college created in section 1.

 

     (b) "College" means Albion college, created in section 1.

 

     (c) "Nontrustee volunteer" means an individual, other than a

 

volunteer trustee, performing services for the college who does not

 

receive compensation or any other type of consideration for the

 

services other than reimbursement for expenses actually incurred.

 

     (d) "Trustee" means a member of the board of trustees.


 

     (e) "Volunteer trustee" means a trustee who does not receive

 

anything of more than nominal value from the college for serving as

 

a trustee other than reasonable per diem compensation and

 

reimbursement for actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses

 

incurred by a trustee in his or her capacity as a trustee.

 

     Sec. 2. (1) The board of trustees of Albion college shall

 

consist of not more than 33 trustees, consisting of the following:

 

     (a) The president of the college.

 

     (b) The resident bishop of the Michigan area of the United

 

Methodist Church.

 

     (c) An ordained active minister of the United Methodist Church

 

designated by the West Michigan Annual Conference.

 

     (d) An ordained active minister of the United Methodist Church

 

designated by the Detroit Annual Conference.

 

     (e) A layman of the United Methodist Church designated by the

 

West Michigan Annual Conference.

 

     (f) A layman of the United Methodist Church designated by the

 

Detroit Annual Conference.

 

     (g) A layman of the United Methodist Church designated by the

 

West Michigan Annual Conference or the Detroit Annual Conference in

 

alternation, the West Michigan Annual Conference to designate the

 

first trustee.

 

     (b) Not more than 6 trustees, the number to be determined by

 

the board of trustees, appointed by the United Methodist Church.

 

     (c) Not more than 2 trustees who are recent graduates of the

 

college, the number to be determined by the board of trustees,

 

appointed by the president of the college. Trustees appointed under


 

this subdivision shall serve staggered 2-year terms.

 

     (d) (h) Six Not more than 6 trustees, designated the number to

 

be determined by the board of trustees, appointed by the Albion

 

college alumni association.

 

     (e) (i) Twenty Not more than 20 trustees, designated the

 

number to be determined by the board of trustees, appointed by the

 

remaining trustees then in office.

 

     (2) Trustees serving on the effective date of this 1972

 

amendatory act shall complete their unexpired terms. The terms of

 

successive trustees shall be staggered so that 10 trustees are

 

designated each year and 11 each third year. Each trustee shall

 

serve a term of 3 years and until his successor is selected. Unless

 

otherwise provided in bylaws of the college adopted by the trustees

 

under section 3, the term of office of a trustee appointed under

 

subsection (1)(b), (d), or (e) is 3 years. The term of office of a

 

trustee appointed under subsection (1)(c) is 2 years, except that

 

the board of trustees may appoint an individual for a 1-year term

 

so that the terms of office of board members appointed under

 

subsection (1)(c) are staggered.

 

     (3) The board of trustees may provide in bylaws adopted under

 

section 3 a limitation on the number of consecutive terms an

 

individual may serve as a trustee.

 

     (4) A trustee appointed under subsection (1)(b), (c), (d), or

 

(e) may serve in office only until the expiration of that trustee's

 

term, regardless of whether a successor has been appointed.

 

     Sec. 7. A volunteer trustee or a nontrustee volunteer who is

 

an officer of the college has no personal liability to the college


 

for monetary damages for a breach of the trustee's or officer's

 

fiduciary duty. This provision does not eliminate or limit the

 

liability of a trustee or officer for any of the following:

 

     (a) A breach of the trustee's or officer's duty of loyalty to

 

the college.

 

     (b) Acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve

 

intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law.

 

     (c) Any distribution of assets of the college in violation of

 

applicable law.

 

     (d) A transaction from which the trustee or officer derived an

 

improper personal benefit.

 

     (e) An act or omission occurring before the effective date of

 

this amendment.

 

     (f) An act or omission that is grossly negligent.

 

     Sec. 7a. During the time that the college is tax exempt under

 

section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 501, the

 

college assumes all liability to any person other than the college

 

for all acts or omissions of a volunteer trustee incurred in the

 

good faith performance of the volunteer trustee's duties.

 

     Sec. 7b. The college assumes the liability for all acts or

 

omissions of a person who is a volunteer trustee or nontrustee

 

volunteer occurring on or after the effective date of the

 

amendatory act that added this section if all of the following are

 

met:

 

     (a) The person was acting or reasonably believed he or she was

 

acting within the scope of his or her authority.

 

     (b) The volunteer was acting in good faith.


 

     (c) The volunteer's conduct did not amount to gross negligence

 

or willful and wanton misconduct.

 

     (d) The volunteer's conduct was not an intentional tort.

 

     (e) The volunteer's conduct was not a tort arising out of the

 

ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle for which tort

 

liability may be imposed under section 3135 of the insurance code

 

of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3135.

 

     Sec. 7c. A claim for monetary damages for an act or omission

 

of a volunteer trustee or a nontrustee volunteer shall not be

 

brought or maintained against that volunteer trustee or nontrustee

 

volunteer. The claim shall be brought and maintained against the

 

college.

 

     Enacting section 1. Sections 4 and 8 of 1857 PA 72, MCL

 

390.704 and 390.708, are repealed.