§432:2-704  Exemption of certain societies. 
(a)  Nothing contained in this article shall be so construed as to affect or
apply to:



(1)  Grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders
or associations now doing business in this State which provide benefits
exclusively through local or subordinate lodges;



(2)  Orders, societies or associations which admit to
membership only persons engaged in one or more crafts or hazardous occupations,
in the same or similar lines of business, insuring only their own members and
their families, and the ladies' societies or ladies' auxiliaries to such
orders, societies or associations;



(3)  Domestic societies which limit their membership
to employees of a particular city or town, designated firm, business house or
corporation which provide for a death benefit of not more than $400 or
disability benefits of not more than $350 to any person in any one year, or
both; or



(4)  Domestic societies or associations of a purely
religious, charitable or benevolent description, which provide for a death
benefit of not more than $400 or for disability benefits of not more than $350
to any one person in any one year, or both.



(b)  Any such society or association described
in subsections (a)(3) or (4) which provides for death or disability benefits
for which benefit certificates are issued, and any such society or association
included in subsection (a)(4) which has more than one thousand members, shall
not be exempted from the provisions of this article but shall comply with all
requirements thereof.



(c)  No society which, by the provisions of
this section, is exempt from the requirements of this article, except any
society described in subsection (a)(2), shall give or allow, or promise to give
or allow to any person any compensation for procuring new members.



(d)  Every society which provides for benefits
in case of death or disability resulting solely from accident, and which does
not obligate itself to pay natural death or sick benefits shall have all of the
privileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions and regulations of
this article except that the provisions thereof relating to medical
examination, valuations of benefit certificates, and incontestability, shall
not apply to such society.



(e)  The commissioner may require from any
society or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as will
enable the commissioner to determine whether such society or association is
exempt from the provisions of this article.



(f)  Societies, exempted under the provisions
of this section, shall also be exempt from all other provisions of the
insurance laws of this State. [L 1987, c 347, pt of §2]