812 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 370

and contracts issued by such associations and the bene-
fits provided therein.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Sections 151, 152, 153, 154, 157 and 171
of Article 48A of Bagby's Annotated Code of the Public
General Laws of Maryland (Edition of 1924), title "Insur-
ance, " sub-title "Fraternal Beneficial Associations, " be, and
the same are hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, so as to read as follows:

SEC. 151. BENEFICIARIES. Except as hereinafter pro-
vided, the payment of death benefits shall be con-
fined to wife, husband, relative by blood to the fourth de-
gree, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-
law, stepfather, stepmother, step-children, children by legal
adoption, or to a person or persons dependent upon the mem-
ber; provided, that if after the issuance of the original cer-
tificate the member shall become dependent upon an incorpo-
rated charitable institution, he shall have the privilege, with
the consent of the association, to make such institution his
beneficiary; and provided further, that any fraternal bene-
ficiary association authorized to do business in this State,
and which shall as to all or any class of certificates or con-
tracts accumulate and maintain the assets required for the
payment, of benefits upon such certificates or contracts,
when valued by mortality and interest standards which
provide reserves not less than those based upon such mor-
tality tables and interest rates as are permitted by the In-
surance Commissioner for fraternal beneficiary associa-
tions or life insurance companies, or upon any higher
standard, may as to such class enter into such contracts
with such persons upon such showing of eligibility in such
forms and granting such benefits payable to such persons
and beneficiaries within the above restrictions under
such conditions as its constitution and laws may
provide. Within the above restrictions, each mem-
ber shall have the right to designate his beneficiary,
and, from time to time, have the same changed in accord-
ance with the laws, rules or regulations of the association,
and no beneficiary shall have or obtain any vested interest
in the said benefit until the same has become due and pay-
able upon the death of the said member; provided, that any
association may, by its laws limit the scope of benefi-
ciaries within the above classes.

Sec. 152. QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP.
Any association may admit to beneficial membership, upon