Sec. 38a-625. (Formerly Sec. 38-247). Exempt societies. Nothing contained in
sections 38a-595 to 38a-626, inclusive, 38a-631 to 38a-640, inclusive, and 38a-800 shall
be so construed as to affect or apply to: (a) Grand or subordinate lodges of societies,
orders or associations doing business in this state on January 1, 1958, which provide
benefits exclusively through local or subordinate lodges; (b) 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, and the ladies' societies or
ladies' auxiliaries to such orders, societies or associations; (c) 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 four hundred
dollars or disability benefits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars to any person
in any one year, or both; (d) domestic societies or associations of a purely religious,
charitable or benevolent description, which provide for a death benefit of not more than
four hundred dollars or for disability benefits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars
to any one person in any one year or both; or (e) nonprofit voluntary associations which
provide ambulance service, and are financed by subscription or gifts only. Any such
society or association described in subdivision (c) or (d), which provides for death or
disability benefits for which benefit certificates are issued, and any such society or
association included in subdivision (d) which has more than one thousand members,
shall not be exempted from the provisions of sections 38a-595 to 38a-626, inclusive,
38a-631 to 38a-640, inclusive, and 38a-800 but shall comply with all requirements
hereof. No society which, by the provisions of this section, is exempt from the requirements of said sections, except any society described in subdivision (b), shall give or
allow, or promise to give or allow, to any person any compensation for procuring new
members. Every society which provides for benefits in case of death or disability resulting solely from accidents, and which does not obligate itself to pay natural death or
sick benefits, shall have all the privileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions
and regulations of said sections, except that the provisions hereof relating to medical
examination, valuations of benefit certificates and incontestability shall not apply to
such society. The commissioner may require from any society or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as will enable him to determine whether such
society or association is exempt from the provisions of said sections. Societies, exempted
under the provisions of this section, shall also be exempt from all other provisions of
the insurance laws of this state.
(1949 Rev., S. 6268, 6274; 1953, S. 2852d; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 42; 1963, P.A. 186.)
History: 1963 act exempted nonprofit voluntary associations providing ambulance service which are financed solely
by subscription or gifts from provisions of chapter; Sec. 38-247 transferred to Sec. 38a-625 in 1991.
Sec. 38a-626. (Formerly Sec. 38-248). Penalties. Any person who wilfully makes
a false or fraudulent statement in or relating to an application for membership or for the
purpose of obtaining money from or a benefit in any society shall be fined not less than
one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not less than thirty
days nor more than one year or both. Any person who wilfully makes a false or fraudulent
statement in any verified report or declaration under oath required or authorized by
sections 38a-595 to 38a-626, inclusive, 38a-631 to 38a-640, inclusive, and 38a-800, or
of any material fact or thing contained in a sworn statement concerning the death or
disability of a member for the purpose of procuring payment of a benefit named in the
certificate, shall be guilty of false statement and shall be subject to the penalties therefor.
Any person who solicits membership for, or in any manner assists in procuring membership in, any society not licensed to do business in this state shall be fined not less than
fifty dollars nor more than two hundred dollars. Any person guilty of a wilful violation
of, or neglect or refusal to comply with, the provisions of said sections for which a
penalty is not otherwise prescribed shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars.
(1949 Rev., S. 6271; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 43; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 117.)
History: 1971 act replaced perjury penalty prescribed by Sec. 53-143 with false statement penalty; Sec. 38-248 transferred to Sec. 38a-626 in 1991.
Secs. 38a-627 to 38a-630. Reserved for future use.
PART II
BENEFITS
Sec. 38a-631. (Formerly Sec. 38-224). Types of benefits authorized. (1) A society authorized to do business in this state may provide for the payment of: (a) Death
benefits in any form; (b) endowment benefits; (c) annuity benefits; (d) temporary or
permanent disability benefits as a result of disease or accident; (e) hospital, medical or
nursing benefits due to sickness or bodily infirmity or accident; and (f) monument or
tombstone benefits to the memory of deceased members not exceeding in any case the
sum of three hundred dollars.
(2) Such benefits may be provided on the lives of members or, upon application of
a member, on the lives of the member's family, including the member, the member's
spouse and minor children, in the same or separate certificates.
(1949 Rev., S. 6244; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 14; March, 1958, P.A. 9, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 61, S. 5.)
History: 1959 act repealed former age limit requirements in (d), (e) and (f) and clarified the application of subdiv. (2)
to the lives of members or their families; Sec. 38-224 transferred to Sec. 38a-631 in 1991.
See Sec. 38a-444 re interest rates on loans.
See Sec. 38a-504 re insurance policy or contract requirements covering surgical removal of tumors and treatment of
leukemia.
Annotation to former section 38-224:
"Endowment" defined; held not to include a variable endowment plan in which a portion of premiums is allocated to
a fund for investment and a number of units in such invested fund is then attributed to the insured. 144 C. 346.
Sec. 38a-632. (Formerly Sec. 38-224a). Additional benefits from special account. A society may pay benefits, other than insurance benefits, to its members from
any special account or fund maintained for such purpose; provided, if such benefits are
of such a nature that they could constitute benefits within the classes of insurance set
forth in section 38a-631, a society making such payments may not: (a) Make any separate
charge therefor; (b) issue any certificate, policy or other document promising such payments; (c) provide in its constitution, laws or any other document that such payments
may be received by the member as a matter of right; or (d) advertise such payments as
insurance or as payments to which the member has any right. The society shall maintain
a separate accounting of all disbursements made under this section and report them in
its annual statement.
(1959, P.A. 624, S. 1.)
History: Sec. 38-224a transferred to Sec. 38a-632 in 1991.
Sec. 38a-633. (Formerly Sec. 38-225). Insurance and branches for children. A
society may provide for benefits on the lives of children under the minimum age for
adult membership but not greater than eighteen years of age at time of application therefor, upon the application of some adult person, as its laws or rules may provide, which
benefits shall be in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) of section 38a-631. A society may, at its option, organize and operate branches for such children.
Membership and initiation in local lodges shall not be required of such children, nor
shall they have a voice in the management of the society. A society may provide for the
designation and changing of designation of beneficiaries in the certificates providing
for such benefits and may provide in all other respects for the regulation, government
and control of such certificates and all rights, obligations and liabilities incident thereto
and connected therewith.
(1957, P.A. 448, S. 15; 1959, P.A. 61, S. 6; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 65.)
History: 1959 act specified "subsection (1)" of Sec. 38-224; 1972 act changed age of majority from twenty-one to
eighteen; Sec. 38-225 transferred to Sec. 38a-633 in 1991.
Sec. 38a-634. (Formerly Sec. 38-226). Nonforfeiture benefits, cash surrender
values and certificate loans. 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 January 1, 1958, a society shall grant at least one paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, except in the case of pure endowment, annuity or reversionary
annuity contracts, reducing term insurance contracts or contracts of term insurance of
uniform amount of fifteen years or less expiring before age sixty-six.
(1957, P.A. 448, S. 16.)
History: Sec. 38-226 transferred to Sec. 38a-634 in 1991.
Sec. 38a-635. (Formerly Sec. 38-227). Officers and members not liable for benefits. 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.
(1949 Rev., S. 6240; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 13.)
History: Sec. 38-227 transferred to Sec. 38a-635 in 1991.
Sec. 38a-636. (Formerly Sec. 38-228). Beneficiaries. Funeral benefits. (a) A
member of a fraternal benefit society 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 vested interest in the
proceeds of any certificate until the certificate has become due and payable in conformity
with the provisions of the insurance contract.
(b) A society may make provision for the payment of funeral benefits to the extent
of such portion of any payment under a certificate as might reasonably appear to be due
any person equitably entitled thereto by reason of having incurred expense occasioned
by the burial of the member, provided the portion so paid shall not exceed the sum of five
hundred dollars. Any society may pay the benefits due minors in monthly installments of
not over twenty-five dollars per month for each minor beneficiary to the person or
persons who, in the opinion of the society, are caring for and supporting such beneficiary,
and such payment shall be a complete discharge of the society's liability to the extent
of such payments.
(c) If, at the death of any member, there is no lawful beneficiary to whom the insurance benefits shall be payable, the amount of such benefits, except to the extent that
funeral benefits may be paid as hereinbefore provided, shall be payable to the personal
representative of the deceased member.
(1949 Rev., S. 6247; 1949, 1953, S. 2848d; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 17; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 587, 608, 610;
P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 86-290, S. 5, 10; P.A. 90-243, S. 136.)
History: P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 77-614 and 78-303
replaced commissioner of social services with commissioner of income maintenance, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 86-290 deleted provision allowing assignment of insurance to income maintenance commissioner; P.A. 90-243 divided section
into Subsecs. and added reference to "fraternal benefit" society in Subsec. (a); Sec. 38-228 transferred to Sec. 38a-636
in 1991.
Annotations to former section 38-228:
When money is due to beneficiary it becomes his property. 64 C. 250. Not property before it comes due. 82 C. 315; 90
C. 511. Right to change beneficiary. 70 C. 537; 74 C. 468; 92 C. 490. Beneficiary determined at death. 70 C. 545; 80 C.
212. Provision of charter requiring payment to "immediate family" construed. 70 C. 545; 80 C. 212. Provisions of will
cannot affect designation of beneficiary. 71 C. 719. Beneficiaries restricted to those designated in statute; effect of payment
of dues by one not so designated. 82 C. 315; 87 C. 644. Notice of designation not necessary when; extent of power of
member to designate; right to change designation. 90 C. 426. Provision for payment to "legal representatives" of deceased
member considered. Id., 511. Change of beneficiary must be made in accordance with bylaws. 91 C. 115. Where there are
living persons within the designated classes, naming of estate is void and next of kin among such persons will take. 117
C. 48. Member of association has no property rights in fund, only power of appointing beneficiary. Id., 53.
Sec. 38a-637. (Formerly Sec. 38-229). Money or other benefits not liable to
attachment. No money or other benefit, charity, relief or aid to be paid, provided or
rendered by any society shall be liable to attachment, garnishment 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 liability of a member or beneficiary, or any other person who
may have a right thereunder, either before or after payment by the society.
(1949 Rev., S. 6245; 1953, S. 2847d; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 18; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 587, 608, 610; P.A.
78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 86-290, S. 6, 10.)
History: P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced commissioner of social services with commissioner of income maintenance, effective January 1, 1979; P.A.
86-290 deleted reference to assignments to the commissioner of income maintenance under Sec. 17-114; Sec. 38-229
transferred to Sec. 38a-637 in 1991.
Annotation to former section 38-229:
What societies included under former law. 76 C. 132.
Sec. 38a-638. (Formerly Sec. 38-230). Benefit certificate. (a) Every society authorized to do business in this state shall issue to each benefit member a certificate
specifying the amount of benefits provided thereby. The certificate, together with any
riders or endorsements attached thereto, the charter or articles of incorporation, the
constitution and laws of the society, the application for membership and declaration of
insurability, if any, signed by the applicant, and all amendments to each thereof shall
constitute the agreement, as of the date of issuance, between the society and the member,
and the certificate shall so state. A copy of the application for membership and of the
declaration of insurability, if any, shall be endorsed upon or attached to the certificate.
(b) All statements purporting to be made by the member shall be representations
and not warranties. Any waiver of this provision shall be void.
(c) Any changes, additions or amendments to the charter or articles of incorporation,
constitution or laws duly made or enacted subsequent to the issuance of the certificate
shall bind the member and the beneficiaries, and shall govern and control the agreement
in all respects the same as though such changes, additions or amendments had been
made prior to and were in force at the time of the application for membership, except
that no change, addition or amendment shall destroy or diminish benefits which the
society contracted to give the member as of the date of issuance.
(d) Copies of any of the documents mentioned in this section, certified by the secretary or corresponding officer of the society, shall be received in evidence of the terms
and conditions thereof.
(e) A society shall provide in its constitution or laws that, if its reserves as to all or
any class of certificates become impaired, its board of directors or corresponding body
may require that there shall be paid by the member to the society the amount of the
member's equitable proportion of such deficiency as ascertained by its board, and that,
if the payment is not made, it shall stand as an indebtedness against the certificate and
draw interest not to exceed five per cent per annum compounded annually.
(1949 Rev., S. 6249; 1951, S. 2851d; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 19; 1959, P.A. 61, S. 7; P.A. 90-243, S. 137.)
History: 1959 act deleted requirement that society's "certificates" provide for payment of member's equitable proportion
of deficiency when reserves become impaired; P.A. 90-243 divided section into Subsecs.; Sec. 38-230 transferred to Sec.
38a-638 in 1991.
Annotation to former section 38-230:
Phrase "amount of benefits", as used in first sentence, implies an amount in dollars readily ascertainable by the insured.
144 C. 346.
Sec. 38a-639. (Formerly Sec. 38-231). Certificate provisions. (a) No life benefit
certificate may be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless a copy of the form
has been filed with, and approved by, the commissioner.
(b) The certificate shall contain in substance the following standard provisions or,
in lieu thereof, provisions which are more favorable to the member: (1) Title on the face
and filing page of the certificate clearly and correctly describing its form; (2) a provision
stating the amount of rates, premiums or other required contributions, by whatever name
known, which are payable by the insured under the certificate; (3) a provision that the
member is entitled to a grace period of not less than a full month, or thirty days at the
option of the society, in which the payment of any premium, after the first, may be made.
During such grace period the certificate shall continue in full force, but, in case the
certificate becomes a claim during the grace period before the overdue payment is made,
the amount of such overdue payment or payments may be deducted in any settlement
under the certificate; (4) a provision that the member shall be entitled to have the certificate reinstated at any time within three years from the due date of the premium in default,
unless the certificate has been completely terminated through the application of a nonforfeiture benefit, cash surrender value or certificate loan, upon the production of evidence
of insurability satisfactory to the society and the payment of all overdue premiums and
any other indebtedness to the society upon the certificate, together with interest on such
premiums and such indebtedness, if any, at a rate not exceeding six per cent per annum
compounded annually; (5) except in the case of pure endowment, annuity or reversionary
annuity contracts, reducing term insurance contracts, or contracts of term insurance of
uniform amount of fifteen years or less expiring before age sixty-six, a provision that,
in the event of default in payment of any premium after three full years' premiums have
been paid or after premiums for a lesser period have been paid if the contract so provides,
the society will grant, upon proper request not later than sixty days after the due date
of the premium in default, a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on the plan stipulated in the
certificate, effective as of such due date. The certificate may provide, if the society's
laws so specify or if the member so elects prior to the expiration of the grace period of
any overdue premium, that default shall not occur so long as premiums can be paid
under the provisions of an arrangement for automatic premium loan as may be set forth
in the certificate; (6) a provision that one paid-up nonforfeiture benefit as specified in
the certificate shall become effective automatically unless the member elects another
available paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, not later than sixty days after the due date of
the premium in default; (7) a statement of the mortality table and rate of interest used
in determining all paid-up nonforfeiture benefits and cash surrender options available
under the certificate, and a brief general statement of the method used in calculating
such benefits; (8) a table showing in figures the value of every paid-up nonforfeiture
benefit and cash surrender option available under the certificate for each certificate
anniversary either during the first twenty certificate years or during the term of the
certificate, whichever is shorter; (9) a provision that the certificate shall be incontestable
after it has been in force during the lifetime of the member for a period of two years
from its date of issue except for nonpayment of premiums, violation of the provisions
of the certificate relating to military, aviation or naval service and violation of the provisions relating to suspension or expulsion as substantially set forth in the certificate. At
the option of the society, supplemental provisions relating to benefits in the event of
temporary or permanent disability or hospitalization and provisions which grant additional insurance specifically against death by accident or accidental means may also be
excepted. The certificate shall be incontestable on the ground of suicide after it has been
in force during the lifetime of the member for a period of two years from the date of
issue. The certificate may provide, as to statements made to procure reinstatement, that
the society shall have the right to contest a reinstated certificate within a period of two
years from the date of reinstatement with the same exceptions as herein provided; (10)
a provision that in case the age or sex of the member or of any other person is considered
in determining the premium and it is found at any time before final settlement under
the certificate that the age or sex has been misstated, and the discrepancy and premium
involved have not been adjusted, the amount payable shall be such as the premium
would have purchased at the correct age and sex; but, if the correct age was not an
insurable age under the society's charter or laws, only the premiums paid to the society,
less any payments previously made to the member, shall be returned or, at the option
of the society, the amount payable under the certificate shall be such as the premium
would have purchased at the correct age according to the society's promulgated rates
and any extension thereof based on actuarial principles; (11) a provision or provisions
which recite fully, or which set forth the substance of, all sections of the charter, constitution, laws, rules or regulations of the society, in force at the time of issuance of the
certificate, the violation of which will result in the termination of, or in the reduction
of, the benefit or benefits payable under the certificate; (12) if the constitution or laws
of the society provide for expulsion or suspension of a member, any member so expelled
or suspended, except for nonpayment of a premium or within the contestable period for
material misrepresentations in such member's application for membership, shall have
the privilege of maintaining his insurance in force by continuing payment of the required
premium; and (13), in the case of a certificate issued by a foreign or alien society, a
provision that the rights or obligations of the member or of any person rightfully claiming
under the certificate shall be governed by the laws of this state. Any of the foregoing
provisions or portions thereof not applicable by reason of the plan of insurance or because
the certificate is an annuity certificate may, to the extent inapplicable, be omitted from
the certificate.
(c) No life benefit certificate shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state
containing in substance any of the following provisions: (1) Any provision limiting the
time within which any action at law or in equity may be commenced to less than two
years after the cause of action shall accrue; (2) any provision by which the certificate
purports to be issued or to take effect more than six months before the original application
for the certificate was made, except in case of transfer from one form of certificate
to another in connection with which the member is to receive credit for any reserve
accumulation under the form of certificate from which the transfer is made; or (3) any
provision for forfeiture of the certificate for failure to repay any loan thereon or to pay
interest on such loan while the total indebtedness, including interest, is less than the
loan value of the certificate.
(1949 Rev., S. 6249; 1951, S. 2851d; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 20; 1959, P.A. 61, S. 8; 1967, P.A. 93; P.A. 90-243, S. 138.)
History: 1959 act amended Subsec. (1)(j) to include misstatement of sex and to substitute "any other person" for "the
beneficiary"; 1967 act required that copy of certificate form be "approved by", as well as filed with, the commissioner;
P.A. 90-243 divided section into Subsecs. and made technical changes, substituting "may" for "shall", "foreign" for "nonresident" and "alien" for "foreign"; Sec. 38-231 transferred to Sec. 38a-639 in 1991.
Annotations to former section 38-231:
Bylaws: Member bound by them and amendments thereto. 71 C. 719; 76 C. 52; 77 C. 58; 84 C. 96. One forbidding
member to engage in liquor business upheld. 84 C. 346. Waiver of. Id. One providing for expulsion of member for misrepresentation upheld. 89 C. 249. Expulsion and reinstatement: Discussed. 76 C. 249; 89 C. 249.
Sec. 38a-640. (Formerly Sec. 38-232). Forms of certificates to be filed with the
commissioner. Approval. (a) No domestic, foreign or alien society authorized to do
business in this state shall issue or deliver in this state any certificate or other evidence
of any contract of accident insurance or health insurance or of any total and permanent
disability insurance contract unless and until the form thereof, together with the form
of application and all riders or endorsements for use in connection therewith, have been
filed with the commissioner and approved by him as conforming to regulations adopted
by him and as not inconsistent with any other provision of law applicable thereto.
(b) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of
chapter 54, establishing a procedure for review of such contracts. If the commissioner
finds that any such contract or endorsement is not in accordance with any provision of
law, he shall issue an order disapproving the use of such form and stating his reasons
therefor. The provisions of section 38a-19 shall apply to any such order issued by the
commissioner. The commissioner may approve any such form which in his opinion
contains provisions on any one or more of the several requirements made by him which
are more favorable to the members than the one or ones so required.
(c) Pursuant to the foregoing provisions the commissioner may, from time to time,
adopt, alter and supersede reasonable regulations prescribing the required, optional and
prohibited provisions in such contracts, and such regulations shall conform, as far as
practical, to the provisions of sections 38a-482 and 38a-483. When the commissioner
deems the provisions of the foregoing sections inapplicable, either in part or in their
entirety, he may prescribe the portions or summary thereof of the contract to be printed
on the certificate issued to the member.
(1957, P.A. 448, S. 21; P.A. 88-326, S. 7; P.A. 90-243, S. 139.)
History: P.A. 88-326 required the commissioner to adopt regulations establishing a procedure for policy review and
rephrased existing provisions; P.A. 90-243 divided section into Subsecs. and substituted "foreign" for "nonresident" and
"alien" for "foreign" societies; Sec. 38-232 transferred to Sec. 38a-640 in 1991.