BRIDGE BUILDER TRUST
CODE OF ETHICS
For Principal Executive Officer & Principal Financial Officer
This Code of Ethics is designed to comply with Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) thereunder. This Code of Ethics is in addition to, not in replacement of, the Bridge Builder Trust (the “Trust”) Code of Ethics for access persons (the “Investment Company Code of Ethics”), adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The persons covered by this Code of Ethics may also be subject to the Investment Company Code of Ethics.
The Trust requires its Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, or other Trust officers performing similar functions (the “Principal Officers”), to maintain the highest ethical and legal standards while performing their duties and responsibilities to the Trust and each of its series (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), with particular emphasis on those duties that relate to the preparation and reporting of the financial information of the Funds. The following principles and responsibilities shall govern the professional conduct of the Principal Officers:
1. | HONEST AND ETHICAL CONDUCT. |
The Principal Officers shall act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts of interest in personal and professional relationships, and shall report any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to such conflict between their interests and those of a Fund to the Audit Committee, the full Board of Trustees of the Trust, and, in addition, to any other appropriate person or entity that may reasonably be expected to deal with any conflict of interest in timely and expeditious manner.
The Principal Officers shall act in good faith, responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing their independent judgment to be subordinated or compromised.
2. | FINANCIAL RECORDS AND REPORTING |
The Principal Officers shall provide full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports and/or other documents to be filed with or submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission or other applicable body by a Fund, or that is otherwise publicly disclosed or communicated. The Principal Officers shall comply with applicable rules and regulations of federal, state, and local governments, and other appropriate private and public regulatory agencies.
The Principal Officers shall respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of their work and shall not disclose such information except when authorized or legally obligated to disclose. The Principal Officers will not use confidential information
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Code of Ethics for Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer
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acquired in the course of their duties as Principal Officers.
The Principal Officers shall share knowledge and maintain skills important and relevant to the Trust’s needs; shall proactively promote ethical behavior of the Trust’s employees and as a partner with industry peers and associates; and shall maintain control over and responsibly manage assets and resources employed or entrusted to them by the Trust.
3. | COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS |
The Principal Officers shall establish and maintain mechanisms to oversee the compliance of the Funds with applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or administrative rule, and to identify, report and correct in a swift and certain manner, any detected deviations from applicable federal, state or local law regulation or rule.
4. | COMPLIANCE WITH THIS CODE OF ETHICS |
The Principal Officers shall promptly report any violations of this Code of Ethics to the Audit Committee as well as the full Board of Trustees of the Trust and shall be held accountable for strict adherence to this Code of Ethics. Principal Officers who promptly report violations or suspected violations in good faith will not be subject to retaliation of any kind. Reported violations will be investigated and addressed promptly and will be treated as confidential to the extent possible. A proven failure to uphold the standards stated herein shall be grounds for such sanctions as shall be reasonably imposed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
5. | AMENDMENT AND WAIVER |
This Code of Ethics may only be amended or modified by approval of the Board of Trustees. Any substantive amendment that is not technical or administrative in nature or any material waiver, implicit or otherwise, of any provision of this Code of Ethics, shall be communicated publicly in accordance with Item 2 of Form N-CSR under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
6. | CONFLICTS OF INTEREST |
Principal Officers should report any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to such conflict between their interests and those of a Fund to the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”) or other appropriate member of the Audit Committee, the full Board of Trustees of the Funds (the “Board”), that may reasonably be expected to deal with any conflict of interest in timely and expeditious manner.
The Principal Officers shall act in good faith, responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing their independent judgment to be subordinated or compromised.
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7. | ACCOUNTABILITY |
All Principal Officers will be held accountable for adherence to this Code. Each Principal Officer must, upon the Funds’ adoption of this Code (or thereafter as applicable, upon becoming a Principal Officer), affirm in writing to the Board that he/she has received, read, and understands this Code by signing the Acknowledgement Form attached hereto as Appendix A. Thereafter, each Principal Officer, on an annual basis, must affirm to the Board that he/she has complied with the requirements of this Code.
Principal Officers may not retaliate against any other Principal Officer of the Funds or their affiliated persons for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith.
Adopted: May 22, 2013
Amended: May 15, 2019
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