1. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be so construed as to affect or apply to grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders or associations now doing business in this state which provide benefits exclusively through local or subordinate lodges, or to:

(1) 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;

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 378.640

  • Certificate: the document issued as written evidence of the benefit contract. See Missouri Laws 378.604
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Director: the director of the department of commerce and insurance. See Missouri Laws 378.604
  • Heretofore: means any time previous to the day when the statute containing it takes effect. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Society: a fraternal benefit society, unless otherwise indicated. See Missouri Laws 378.604
  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(2) 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 five hundred dollars or disability benefits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars to any person in any one year, or both;

(3) Domestic societies or associations of a purely religious, charitable or benevolent description, which provide for a death benefit of not more than five hundred dollars or for disability benefits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars to any one person in any one year, or both.

2. Any such society or association described in subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection 1 of this section which provides for death or disability benefits for which benefit certificates are issued, and any such society or association included in subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section which has more than two thousand members, shall not be exempted from the provisions of this chapter but shall comply with all requirements thereof.

3. No society which, by the provisions of this section, is exempt from the requirements of this chapter, except any society described in subdivision (1) of subsection 1, shall give or allow, or promise to give or allow to any person any compensation for procuring new members.

4. Any society whose membership is confined to any religious denomination shall not be required to have ritualistic ceremonies.

5. Every fraternal benefit society heretofore organized and incorporated and which provides exclusively 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, may be relicensed under the provisions of this chapter, if heretofore authorized, and shall have all of the privileges, and be subject to all the applicable provisions and regulations of this chapter, except that the privileges thereof relating to medical examination, valuations of benefit certificates, and requirements that the certificate shall specify the amount of benefits shall not apply to such society.

6. The director may require from any society or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as will enable the director to determine whether such society or association is exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

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