Title 18, Insurance Code

§ 6205. Purposes and powers. (a) A society shall operate for the benefit of members and their beneficiaries by: (1) Providing benefits as specified in § 6216 of this title; and (2) Operating for 1 or more social, intellectual, educational, charitable, benevolent, moral, fraternal…

§ 6206. Qualifications for membership. (a) A society shall specify in its laws or rules: (1) Eligibility standards for each and every class of membership provided, that if benefits are provided on the lives of children, the minimum age for adult membership shall be set at not les…

§ 6207. Location of office, meetings, communications to members, grievance procedures. (a) The principal office of any domestic society shall be located in this State. The meetings of its supreme governing body may be held in any state, district, province or territory wherein suc…

§ 6208. No personal liability. (a) The officers and members of the supreme governing body or any subordinate body of a society shall not be personally liable for any benefits provided by a society. (b) Any person may be indemnified and reimbursed by any society for expenses reaso…

§ 6209. Waiver. The laws of the society may provide that no subordinate body nor any of its subordinate officers or members shall have the power or authority to waive any of the provisions of the laws of the society. Such provision shall be binding on the society and every member…

§ 6210. Organization. A domestic society organized on or after January 1, 1997, shall be formed as follows: (1) Seven or more citizens of the United States, a majority of whom are citizens of this State, who desire to form a fraternal benefit society shall form a corporation with…

§ 6211. Amendments to laws. (a) A domestic society may amend its laws in accordance with the provisions thereof by action of its supreme governing body at any regular or special meeting thereof or, if its laws so provide, by referendum. Such referendum may be held in accordance w…

§ 6212. Institutions. (a) A society may create, maintain and operate or may establish organizations to operate not-for-profit institutions to further the purposes permitted by § 6205(a)(2) of this title. Such institutions may furnish services free or at a reasonable charge. Any r…

§ 6213. Reinsurance. (a) A domestic society may, by a reinsurance agreement, cede any individual risk or risks in whole or in part to an insurer (other than another fraternal benefit society) having the power to make such reinsurance and authorized to do business in this State, o…

§ 6214. Consolidations and mergers. (a) A domestic society may consolidate or merge with any other society by complying with the provisions of this section and the applicable provisions of the statutes of this State governing the merger or consolidation of nonstock corporations. …

§ 6215. Conversion of fraternal benefit society into a mutual life insurance company. Any domestic fraternal benefit society may be converted and licensed as a mutual life insurance company by compliance with all the applicable requirements of § 4905 of this title. A plan of conv…

§ 6216. Benefits. (a) A society may provide the following contractual benefits in any form: (1) Death benefits; (2) Endowment benefits; (3) Annuity benefits; (4) Temporary or permanent disability benefits; (5) Hospital, medical or nursing benefits; (6) Monument or tombstone benef…

§ 6217. Beneficiaries. (a) The owner of a benefit contract shall have the right at all times to change the beneficiary or beneficiaries in accordance with the laws or rules of the society unless the owner waives this right by specifically requesting in writing that the beneficiar…

§ 6218. Benefits not attachable. No money or other benefit, charity, relief or aid to be paid, provided or rendered by any society shall be liable to attachment, garnishment or other process or to be seized, taken, appropriated or applied by any legal or equitable process or oper…

§ 6219. The benefit contract. (a) Every society authorized to do business in this State shall issue to each owner of a benefit contract a certificate specifying the amount of benefits provided thereby. The certificate, together with any riders or endorsements attached thereto, th…

§ 6220. Nonforfeiture benefits, cash surrender values, certificate loans and other options. (a) For certificates issued prior to January 1, 1988, the value of every paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and the amount of any cash surrender value, loan or other option granted shall comply…

§ 6221. Investments. A society shall invest its funds only in such investments as are authorized by the laws of this State for the investment of assets of life insurers and subject to the limitations thereon. Any foreign or alien society permitted or seeking to do business in thi…

§ 6222. Funds. (a) All assets shall be held, invested and disbursed for the use and benefit of the society and no member or beneficiary shall have or acquire individual rights therein or become entitled to any apportionment on the surrender of any part thereof, except as provided…

§ 6223. Exemptions; application of other code provisions. (a) Except as herein provided, societies shall be governed by this chapter and shall be exempt from all other provisions of the insurance laws of this State, not only in governmental relations with this State, but for ever…

§ 6224. Taxation. Every society organized or licensed under this chapter 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, municipal and school tax other than taxes on real estate and …

§ 6225. Valuation. (a) Standards of valuation for certificates issued prior to January 1, 1988, shall be those provided by the laws applicable immediately prior to January 1, 1997. (b) The minimum standards of valuation for certificates issued on or after January 1, 1988, shall b…

§ 6226. Reports. Reports shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of this section. (1) Every society transacting business in this State shall annually, on or before March 1, unless for cause shown such time has been extended by the Commissioner, file with the Commissioner…

§ 6227. Annual license. Societies which are now authorized to transact business in this State may continue such business until April 1, 1997. The authority of such societies and all societies hereafter licensed may thereafter be renewed annually, but in all cases to terminate on …

§ 6228. Examination of societies; no adverse publications. (a) The Commissioner, or any person he or she may appoint, may examine any domestic, foreign or alien society transacting or applying for admission to transact business in this State in the same manner as authorized for e…

§ 6229. Foreign or alien society — Admission. No foreign or alien society shall transact business in this State without a license issued by the Commissioner. Any such society desiring admission to this State shall comply substantially with the requirements and limitations of this…

§ 6230. Injunction — Liquidation — Receivership of domestic society. (a) When the Commissioner, upon investigation, finds that a domestic society has exceeded its powers, has failed to comply with any provision of this chapter, is not fulfilling its contracts in good faith, has a…

§ 6231. Suspension, revocation or refusal of license of foreign or alien society. (a) When the Commissioner, upon investigation, finds that a foreign or alien society transacting or applying to transact business in this State: (1) Has exceeded its powers; (2) Has failed to comply…

§ 6232. Injunction. No application or petition for injunction against any domestic, foreign or alien society or lodge thereof shall be recognized in any court of this State unless made by the Attorney General upon request of the Commissioner.70 Del. Laws, c. 533, § 1;

§ 6233. Licensing of agents. (a) Agents of societies shall be licensed in accordance with Chapter 17 of this title. Agents licensed prior to January 1, 1997, shall not be required to take a written or other examination. (b) No examination or license shall be required of any regul…

§ 6234. Unfair methods of competition and unfair and deceptive acts and practices. Every society authorized to do business in this State shall be subject to Chapter 23 of this title relating to unfair practices; provided however, that nothing therein shall be construed as applyin…

§ 6235. Service of process. (a) Every society authorized to do business in this State shall appoint, in writing, the Commissioner and each successor in office to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process in any action or proceeding against it shall be served an…

§ 6236. Penalties. (a) A person who shall knowingly or wilfully make any false or fraudulent statement or representation in or relating to any application for membership or for the purpose of obtaining money from or a benefit in any society shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and u…

§ 6237. Exemption of certain societies. (a) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be so construed as to affect or apply to: (1) Grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders or associations now doing business in this State which provide benefits exclusively through local or …

§ 6238. Review. All decisions and findings of the Commissioner made under this chapter shall be subject to review as set forth in Chapter 3 of this title and in Chapter 101 of Title 29.70 Del. Laws, c. 533, § 1;