Board of directors.

(1) The board of directors of the association shall consist of not less than five or more than nine persons serving terms as established in the plan of operation. Three members of the board must be representatives from domestic insurers appointed by the Chief Financial Officer. The department shall approve and appoint to the board persons recommended by the member insurers or shall approve and appoint other persons with experience in property and casualty insurance or motor vehicle insurance as determined by the Chief Financial Officer. These appointments are deemed to be within the scope of the exemption provided in s. 112.313(7)(b). Each member shall serve for a 4-year term and may be reappointed. Vacancies on the board shall be filled for the remaining period of the term in the same manner as initial appointments.

(2) In appointing members to the board, the department shall consider among other things whether all areas of insurance covered by this part are fairly represented.

(3) Members of the board may be reimbursed from the assets of the association for expenses incurred by them as members of the board of directors.

(4) Any board member representing an insurer in receivership shall be terminated as a board member, effective as of the date of the entry of the order of receivership.

(5) The Chief Financial Officer may remove a board member from office for misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, or neglect of duty. Any vacancy so created shall be filled as provided in subsection (1).

(6) Board members are subject to the code of ethics under part III of chapter 112, including, but not limited to, the code of ethics and public disclosure and reporting of financial interests, pursuant to s. 112.3145. For purposes of applying part III of chapter 112 to activities of members of the board of directors, those persons are considered public officers and the association is considered their agency. Notwithstanding s. 112.3143(2), a board member may not vote on any measure that he or she knows would inure to his or her special private gain or loss; that he or she knows would inure to the special private gain or loss of any principal by which he or she is retained, other than an agency as defined in s. 112.312; or that he or she knows would inure to the special private gain or loss of a relative or business associate of the public officer. Before the vote is taken, such member shall publicly state to the board the nature of his or her interest in the matter from which he or she is abstaining from voting and, within 15 days after the vote occurs, disclose the nature of his or her interest as a public record in a memorandum filed with the person responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting, who shall incorporate the memorandum in the minutes.

(7) Notwithstanding s. 112.3148, s. 112.3149, or any other law, a board member may not knowingly accept, directly or indirectly, any gift or expenditure from a person or entity, or an employee or representative of such person or entity, which has a contractual relationship with the association or which is under consideration for a contract.

(8) A board member who fails to comply with subsection (6) or subsection (7) is subject to the penalties provided under ss. 112.317 and 112.3173.