1612 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 824]

preme Lodge Knights of Pythias, and the Junior Order of
United American Mechanics; exclusive of the Beneficiary De-
gree or insurance branch of the National Council Junior Order
United American Mechanics) or associations which limit their
membership to any one hazardous occupation, nor to similar
associations which do not issue insurance certificates, nor to an
association of local lodges of a society now doing business in this
State which provides death benefits not exceeding three hundred
dollars to any one person, or disability benefits not exceed-
ing three hundred dollars in any one year to any one per-
son, or both, nor to any contract of reinsurance business on
such plan in this State, nor to domestic associations which limit
their membership to the employees of a particular city or town,
designated firm, business house or corporation, nor to domestic
lodges, orders or associations of a purely religious, charitable
and benevolent description, which do not provide for a death
benefit of more than one hundred dollars, or for disability bene-
fits of more than one hundred and fifty dollars to any one per-
son in any one year; provided, always, that any such domestic
order or society which has more than five hundred members, and
provides for death or disability benefits, and any such domestic
lodge, order or society which issues to any person a certificate
providing for the payment of benefits, shall not be exempt by the
provisions of this section, but shall comply with all the require-
ments of this act. The insurance commissioner may require
from any society such information as will enable him to deter-
mine whether such society is exempt from the provisions of
this act. No society which is exempt by the provisions of this
section from the requirement of this act shall give or allow or
promise to give or allow, to any person any compensation for
procuring new members. Any fraternal beneficiary association
heretofore organized and incorporated and operating within the
definition set forth in sections 1A, 2A and 3A of this act, pro-
viding for benefits in case of death or disability resulting solely
from accidents, but which does not obligate itself to pay death
or sick benefits, may be licensed under the provisions of this act,
and shall have all the privileges and shall be subject to all the
provisions and regulations of this act, except that the provisions
of this act requiring medical examinations, valuations of benefit
certificates, and that the certificate shall specify the amount of
benefits, shall not apply to such association.

SEC. 31A. (Taxation.) Every fraternal beneficiary associa-
tion organized or licensed under this act is hereby declared to be
a charitable and benevolent institution, and all of its funds
shall be exempt from all and every State, county, district, mu-