§ 4460. Statutory purposes The statutory purpose of the exemption for fraternal societies in section 4500 of this title is to support benevolent societies that provide benefits to members and to the community. (Added 2013, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 18.)
§ 4461. Fraternal benefit societies defined (a) Any incorporated society, order, or supreme lodge, without capital stock, including one exempted under the provisions of subdivision 4502(a)(2) of this title, whether incorporated or not, conducted solely for the benefit of its members and their beneficiaries and not for profit, operated on a lodge system with ritualistic […]
§ 4462. Lodge system defined A society having a supreme legislative or governing body and subordinate lodges or branches by whatever name known, into which members are elected, initiated or admitted in accordance with its constitutions, laws, ritual, and rules, which subordinate lodges or branches shall be required by the laws of the society to […]
§ 4463. Representative form of government defined A society shall be deemed to have a representative form of government when: (1) it provides in its constitution or laws for a supreme legislative or governing body, composed of representatives elected either by the members or by delegates elected directly or indirectly by the members, together with […]
§ 4464. Organization The organization of a society shall be governed as follows: (1) Seven or more citizens of the United States, a majority of whom are citizens of this State, who desire to form a fraternal benefit society, may make, sign, and acknowledge before some officer, competent to take acknowledgments of deeds, articles of […]
§ 4465. Corporate powers retained Any incorporated society authorized to transact business in this State on November 22, 1959 may thereafter exercise all the rights, powers, and privileges prescribed in this chapter and in its charter or articles of incorporation as far as consistent with this chapter. A domestic society shall not be required to […]
§ 4466. Existing voluntary associations; may incorporate (a) After one year from November 22, 1959, no unincorporated or voluntary association shall be permitted to transact business in this State as a fraternal benefit society. (b) Any domestic voluntary association now authorized to transact business in this State may incorporate and shall receive from the Commissioner […]
§ 4467. Location of office; place of meeting The principal office of any domestic society shall be located in this State. The meetings of its supreme legislative or governing body may be held in any state, district, province, or territory wherein the society has at least five subordinate branches and all business transacted at the […]
§ 4468. Consolidations and mergers (a) A domestic society may consolidate or merge with any other society by complying with the provisions of this section. (b) It shall file with the Commissioner of Financial Regulation: (1) a certified copy of the written contract containing in full the terms and conditions of the consolidation or merger; […]
§ 4469. Conversion of fraternal benefit society into mutual life insurance company Any domestic fraternal benefit society may be converted and licensed as a mutual life insurance company by compliance with all the requirements of sections 3366, 3423-3425, 3701-3711 of this title, if such plan of conversion is approved by the Commissioner of Financial Regulation. […]
§ 4470. Qualifications for membership (a) A society may admit to benefit membership any person not less than 15 years of age, at his or her nearest birthday, who has furnished evidence of insurability acceptable to the society. A member who applies for additional benefits more than six months after becoming a benefit member shall […]
§ 4471. Articles of incorporation, constitution, and laws; amendments (a) A domestic society may amend its articles of incorporation, constitution, or laws in accordance with the provisions thereof by action of its supreme legislative or governing body at any regular or special meeting of the society or, if its articles of incorporation, constitution, or laws […]
§ 4472. Institutions (a) It shall be lawful for a society to create, maintain, and operate charitable, benevolent, or educational institutions for the benefit of its members and their families and dependents and for the benefit of children insured by the society. For that purpose, it may own, hold, or lease personal property or real […]
§ 4473. No personal liability The officers and members of the supreme, grand, or any subordinate body of a society shall not be personally liable for payment of any benefits provided by a society. (Added 1959, No. 197, § 13, eff. Nov. 22, 1959.)
§ 4474. Benefits (a) A society authorized to do business in this State may provide for the payment of: (1) death benefits in any form; (2) endowment benefits; (3) annuity benefits; (4) temporary or permanent disability benefits as a result of disease or accident; (5) hospital, medical, or nursing benefits due to sickness or bodily […]
§ 4475. Benefits on lives of children (a) A society may provide for benefits on the lives of children under the minimum age for adult membership but not greater than 18 years of age at the time of application for such benefits, upon the application of an adult person who has an insurable interest, as […]
§ 4476. Nonforfeiture benefits, cash surrender values, certificate loans, and other options (a) A society may grant paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, cash surrender values, certificate loans, and such other options as its laws may permit. As to certificates issued on and after November 22, 1959, a society shall grant at least one paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, except […]
§ 4477. Beneficiaries (a) The member shall have the right at all times to change the beneficiary or beneficiaries in accordance with the constitution, laws, or rules of the society. Every society by its constitution, laws, or rules may limit the scope of beneficiaries and shall provide that no beneficiary shall have or obtain any […]
§ 4478. Benefits not attachable No money or other benefit, charity, relief, or aid to be paid, provided, or rendered by any society, shall be liable to attachment, trustee or other process, or to be seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or […]
§ 4479. The contract (a) Every society authorized to do business in this State shall issue to each benefit member a certificate specifying the amount of benefits provided under the certificate. The certificate, together with any attached riders or endorsements, the charter or articles of incorporation, the constitution and laws of the society, the application […]
