(A) No person shall cause or permit to be made, issued, or circulated in any form any of the following:

(1) Any misrepresentation or false or misleading statement concerning the terms, benefits, or advantages of any fraternal insurance contract now issued or to be issued in this state, or the financial condition of any fraternal benefit society;

(2) Any false or misleading estimate or statement concerning the dividends or shares of surplus paid or to be paid by any society on any insurance contract;

(3) Any incomplete comparison of an insurance contract of one society with an insurance contract of another society or insurer for the purpose of inducing the lapse, forfeiture, or surrender of any insurance contract. A comparison of insurance contracts is incomplete if either of the following applies:

(a) The comparison does not compare in detail the gross rates, the gross rates less any dividend or other reduction allowed at the date of the comparison, any increase in cash values, and all the benefits provided by each contract for the possible duration of the contract as determined by the life expectancy of the insured;

(b) The comparison omits from consideration any benefit or value provided in the contract, any differences as to amount or period of rates, or any differences in limitations or conditions or other provisions that directly or indirectly affect the benefits.

In any determination of the incompleteness or misleading character of any comparison or statement, it is presumed that the insured has no knowledge of any of the contents of the contract involved.

(B) No person shall solicit membership for, or in any manner assist in procuring membership in, any society not licensed to do business in this state.

(C) No person shall purposely violate, or neglect or refuse to comply with, any provision of this chapter for which a penalty is not otherwise prescribed.

Effective Date: 01-01-1997 .