Chapter 632 — Chapter 632
35 sections in this chapter.
Fla. Stat. § 632.601 “Fraternal benefit society” defined
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Any incorporated society, order, or supreme lodge, without capital stock, including one exempted under the provisions of s. 632.637(1)(b), whether incorporated or not, conducted solely for the benefit of its members and their beneficiaries and not for profit, operated on a lodge …
Fla. Stat. § 632.602 “Lodge system” defined
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(1) A society is operating on the lodge system if it has a supreme governing body and subordinate lodges into which members are elected, initiated, or admitted in accordance with its laws, rules, and ritual. Subordinate lodges shall be required by the laws of the society to hold …
Fla. Stat. § 632.603 “Representative form of government” defined
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A society has a “representative form of government” when:(1) It has a supreme governing body constituted in one of the following ways:(a) Assembly.—The supreme governing body is an assembly composed of delegates elected directly by the members, or at intermediate assemblies or co…
Fla. Stat. § 632.604 Terms used
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Whenever used in this chapter:(1) “Benefit contract” means the agreement for provision of benefits authorized by s. 632.617, as that agreement is described in s. 632.621(1).(2) “Benefit member” means an adult member who is designated by the laws or rules of the society to be a be…
Fla. Stat. § 632.605 Purposes and powers
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(1) A society shall operate for the benefit of members and their beneficiaries by:(a) Providing benefits as specified in s. 632.617; and(b) Operating for one or more social, intellectual, educational, charitable, benevolent, moral, fraternal, patriotic, or religious purposes for …
Fla. Stat. § 632.606 Qualifications for membership
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(1) A society shall specify in its laws or rules:(a) 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 less than age 15 and not greater than age 2…
Fla. Stat. § 632.607 Location of office; meetings; communications to members; grievance procedures
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(1) 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 such society has at least one subordinate lodge, and all business transacted at such meet…
Fla. Stat. § 632.608 No personal liability
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(1) The officers and members of the supreme governing body or of any subordinate body of a society shall not be personally liable for any benefits provided by the society.(2)(a) Any person may be indemnified and reimbursed by any society for expenses reasonably incurred by, and f…
Fla. Stat. § 632.609 Waiver prohibited
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The laws of the society shall 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 or rules of the society. Such provision shall be binding on the society and every member an…
Fla. Stat. § 632.611 Organization
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A domestic society organized on or after June 24, 1986, 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 make, sign, and acknowledge before some officer…
Fla. Stat. § 632.612 Amendments to laws
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(1) 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 with the provisions of its la…
Fla. Stat. § 632.613 Institutions
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A society may create, maintain, and operate, or may establish organizations to operate, not-for-profit institutions to further the purposes permitted by s. 632.605(1)(b). Such institutions may furnish services free or at a reasonable charge. Any real or personal property owned, h…
Fla. Stat. § 632.614 Reinsurance
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(1) 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, or if not so authorize…
Fla. Stat. § 632.615 Consolidations and mergers
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(1) A domestic society may not consolidate or merge with any other insurer other than another society. It may consolidate or merge with another society by complying with the provisions of this section. It shall file with the office:(a) A certified copy of the written contract con…
Fla. Stat. § 632.616 Conversion of fraternal benefit society into mutual life insurance company
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Any domestic fraternal benefit society may be converted and licensed as a mutual life insurance company by compliance with all the requirements of chapter 628. A plan of conversion shall be prepared in writing by the board of directors setting forth in full the terms and conditio…
Fla. Stat. § 632.617 Benefits
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(1) A society may provide the following contractual benefits:(a) Death benefits;(b) Endowment benefits;(c) Annuity benefits;(d) Temporary or permanent disability benefits;(e) Hospital, medical, or nursing benefits;(f) Monument or tombstone benefits to the memory of deceased membe…
Fla. Stat. § 632.618 Beneficiaries
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(1) 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 beneficiary designation be irrevo…
Fla. Stat. § 632.619 Benefits not attachable
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No money or other benefit, charity, relief, or aid to be paid, provided, or rendered by any society, shall be subject to attachment, garnishment, or other process, nor seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or…
Fla. Stat. § 632.621 The benefit contract
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(1) Every society authorized to do business in this state shall issue to each owner of a benefit contract a certificate with an identifying number specifying the amount of benefits provided thereby. The certificate, together with any riders or endorsements, the application for in…
Fla. Stat. § 632.622 Nonforfeiture benefits, cash surrender values, certificate loans, and other options
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(1) For certificates issued prior to October 1, 1982, the value of every paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and the amount of any cash surrender value, loan, or other option granted shall comply with the provisions of law applicable immediately prior thereto.(2) For certificates issue…
Fla. Stat. § 632.623 Investments
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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 this state which invests…
Fla. Stat. § 632.624 Funds
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(1) 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 nor become entitled to any apportionment on the surrender of any part thereof, except as provided in the bene…
Fla. Stat. § 632.625 Exemptions
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Societies shall be governed by the provisions of this chapter and shall be exempt from all other provisions of the Florida Insurance Code unless those other provisions are expressly applicable to societies or unless those other provisions are specifically made applicable to socie…
Fla. Stat. § 632.626 Taxation
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Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, 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 …
Fla. Stat. § 632.627 Valuation
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(1) Standards of valuation for certificates issued prior to October 1, 1982, shall be those provided by the laws applicable immediately prior to said date.(2) The minimum standards of valuation for certificates issued on or after October 1, 1982, shall be in accordance with valua…
Fla. Stat. § 632.628 Reports
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(1) Reports shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of this section. 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 office, file with the office a true statement of its fina…
Fla. Stat. § 632.629 Annual license
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(1) A fraternal benefit society may not transact business in this state unless authorized therefor under a subsisting license issued to the society by the office.(2) A license issued or renewed under this chapter shall continue in force as long as the society is entitled thereto …
Fla. Stat. § 632.631 Examination of societies; no adverse publications
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(1) The office, or any person it 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 examination of domestic, foreign, or alien insurers. Requirements of not…
Fla. Stat. § 632.632 Foreign or alien society; admission
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No foreign or alien society shall transact business in this state without a license issued by the office. Any such society desiring admission to this state shall have the qualifications required of domestic societies organized under this chapter. Any such society may be licensed …
Fla. Stat. § 632.633 Additional grounds for suspension, revocation, or denial of certificate of authority; receivership; insolvency
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(1) In addition to the grounds set forth in s. 624.418, the office may, in its discretion, suspend, revoke, or deny the certificate of authority of a society, if it finds that the society:(a) Has exceeded its powers;(b) Has failed to comply with any provision of this chapter;(c) …
Fla. Stat. § 632.634 Licensing and appointment of agents
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(1) Agents of societies shall be licensed and appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Florida Insurance Code regulating the licensing, appointment, examination, revocation, suspension, or termination of the license of resident and nonresident life, health, and variable…
Fla. Stat. § 632.635 Unfair and deceptive acts and practices
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Every society authorized to do business in this state shall be subject to the provisions of the Unfair Insurance Trade Practices Act as provided in part IX of chapter 626; provided, however, that nothing in such provisions shall be construed as applying to or affecting the right …
Fla. Stat. § 632.636 Violations; penalties
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(1) The provisions of s. 624.15 shall apply with respect to:(a) Any person who willfully makes a false or fraudulent statement in or relating to an application for membership or for the purpose of obtaining money from or a benefit in any society;(b) Any person who solicits member…
Fla. Stat. § 632.637 Exemption of certain societies
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(1) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be so construed as to affect or apply to:(a) Grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders, or associations now doing business in this state which provide benefits exclusively through local or subordinate lodges;(b) Orders, societies…
Fla. Stat. § 632.638 Applicability of other code provisions
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In addition to other provisions contained or referred to in this chapter, the following chapters and provisions of this code apply to fraternal benefit societies, to the extent applicable and not in conflict with the express provisions of this chapter and the reasonable implicati…