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

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

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

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

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

(b)  Any such society or association describedin subsections (a)(3) or (4) which provides for death or disability benefitsfor which benefit certificates are issued, and any such society or associationincluded in subsection (a)(4) which has more than one thousand members, shallnot be exempted from the provisions of this article but shall comply with allrequirements thereof.

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

(d)  Every society which provides for benefitsin case of death or disability resulting solely from accident, and which doesnot obligate itself to pay natural death or sick benefits shall have all of theprivileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions and regulations ofthis article except that the provisions thereof relating to medicalexamination, valuations of benefit certificates, and incontestability, shallnot apply to such society.

(e)  The commissioner may require from anysociety or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as willenable the commissioner to determine whether such society or association isexempt from the provisions of this article.

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