Section 123. No life company shall issue any policy of life or endowment insurance in this commonwealth except upon a written application therefor signed or assented to in writing by the person to be insured; provided, that such a company may issue a policy on the life of a minor under the age of fifteen on an application signed by the parent, guardian or other person having legal custody of such minor; and provided, further, that such a company may issue a single policy on the lives of any two or more members of a family on an application signed by either parent, a step-parent, or by a husband or wife. For the purposes of this paragraph members of a family shall mean husband, wife, children, adopted children, or step-children.

No life insurance company shall accept or take action on any written request to change the designation of beneficiary under any policy of life or endowment insurance unless the signature of the person requesting the change is witnessed by a disinterested person. For purposes of this section, a disinterested person is one who is over eighteen years of age and not designated as a beneficiary in the requested change. Upon receipt and acceptance of the change of designation of beneficiary, the insurance company shall provide written notice of the change to the insured at the owner's last known address.

This section shall not apply to contracts based upon the continuance of life, such as annuity or pure endowment contracts, whether or not they embody an agreement to refund, upon the death of the holder, to his estate or to a specified payee, any sum not exceeding the premiums paid thereon with compound interest, nor shall it apply to contracts of group life insurance.

Any company violating this section, or any officer, agent or other person soliciting or effecting, or attempting to effect, a contract of insurance contrary to the provisions hereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.