(A) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as applying to or otherwise affecting any of the following:

(1) Grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders, or associations doing business in this state that provide benefits exclusively through local or subordinate lodges;

(2) Orders, societies, or associations that admit to membership only persons engaged in one or more crafts or hazardous occupations, in the same or similar lines of business, insuring only their own members, their families and descendants of members, and the ladies' societies or ladies' auxiliaries to such orders, societies, or associations;

(3) Domestic societies that limit their membership to employees of a particular city or town, designated firm, business house, or corporation that 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;

(4) Domestic societies or associations of a purely religious, charitable, or benevolent description, that 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.

(B) No society that, pursuant to division (A) of this section, is exempt from the requirements of this chapter, except any society described in division (A)(2) of this section, shall give or allow, or promise to give or allow, to any person any compensation for procuring new members.

(C) Every society that provides for benefits in case of death or disability resulting solely from accident, and that does not obligate itself to pay natural death or sick benefits, shall have all of the privileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions of this chapter, except for the provisions and rules relating to medical examination, valuations of benefit certificates, and incontestability.

(D) The superintendent of insurance may require from any society or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as will enable the superintendent to determine whether the society or association is exempt from the requirements of this chapter.

(E) Societies that, pursuant to division (A) of this section, are exempt from the requirements of this chapter shall also be exempt from all other provisions of the insurance laws of this state.

Effective Date: 01-01-1997 .