1138                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 553

306.    Exempted Societies.

(a)   Nothing contained in this subtitle shall be so construed as to
affect or apply to:

(1)   Grand or subordinate lodges or societies, orders or associa-
tions now doing business in this State which provide benefits exclu-
sively through local or subordinate lodges for which no benefit cer-
tificates shall be issued;

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

(3)   Domestic societies which limit their membership to employees
of a particular city or town, designated firm, business house or cor-
poration which provide for a death benefit of not more than four
hundred dollars ($400) or disability benefits of not more than three
hundred fifty dollars ($350) to any person in any one year, or
both; or

(4)   Domestic societies or associations of a purely religious, char-
itable or benevolent description, which provide for a death benefit
of not more than four hundred dollars ($400) or for disability bene-
fits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars ($350) to any one
person in any one year, or both.

(b)   Any such society or association described in clauses (3) or
(4), above, which provides for death or disability benefits for which
benefit certificates are issued, and any such society or association
included in paragraph (4) which has more than one thousand (1,000)
members, shall not be exempted from the provisions of this subtitle
but shall comply with all requirements thereof.

(c)   No society which, by the provisions of this section, is exempt
from the requirements of this subtitle, except any society described
in paragraph (2), above, shall give or allow, or promise to give or
allow to any person any compensation for procuring new members.

(d)   Every society which provides for benefits in case of death or
disability resulting solely from accident, and which does not obligate
itself to pay natural death or sick benefits shall have all of the priv-
ileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions and regulations
of this subtitle except that the provisions thereof relating to medical
examination, valuations of benefit certificates, and incontestability,
shall not apply to such society.

(e)   The Commissioner may require from any society or associa-
tion, by examination or otherwise, such information as will enable
him to determine whether such society or association is exempt from
the provisions of this subtitle.

(f)   Societies, exempted under the provisions of this section, shall
also be exempt from all other provisions of the insurance laws of
this State.

307.    Annual Certificate of Authority.

The certificate of authority of existing societies and all societies
hereafter authorized may be renewed annually, but in all cases to