<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="8-437" title_number="8" title_name="Entities That Act as Insurers" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Fraternal Benefit Societies">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A society may create, maintain, and operate charitable, benevolent, or educational institutions for the benefit of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>society members;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>families and dependents of society members; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>children insured by the society.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>For the purposes of an institution authorized by subsection (a) of this section, a society may own, hold, or lease personal or real property inside or outside the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The property shall be reported in each annual statement of the society, but may not be allowed as an admitted asset of the society.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, a society may charge a reasonable fee for maintenance, treatment, and proper attendance in an institution authorized by subsection (a) of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A society may not operate an institution authorized under subsection (a) of this section for profit.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A society may not own or operate a funeral home or undertaking establishment.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>A society shall maintain a separate accounting for any income and disbursements under this section and report them in its annual statement.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The purposes of a society as specified in its laws, and as provided in this section and § 8-411(c)(2) of this subtitle, may be carried out:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>directly by the society; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>indirectly:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>with respect to activities regulated by the Insurance Commissioner, through a subsidiary or affiliate operating under a certificate of authority, certificate of qualification, or other license issued by the Commissioner; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for all other activities, through subsidiary corporations and affiliated organizations.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
