(a) Nothing contained in sections 38a-595 to 38a-626, inclusive, 38a-631 to 38a-640, inclusive, and 38a-800 shall be so construed as to affect or apply to: (1) Grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders or associations doing business in this state on January 1, 1958, that provide benefits exclusively through local or subordinate lodges; (2) societies, orders or associations that admit to membership only persons engaged in one or more crafts or hazardous occupations, in the same or similar lines of business, and the ladies' societies or ladies' auxiliaries to such societies, orders or associations; (3) domestic societies that limit their membership to employees of a particular city or town, designated firm, business house or corporation, that provide for a death benefit of not more than four hundred dollars or disability benefits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars to any person in any one year, or both; (4) domestic societies or associations of a purely religious, charitable or benevolent description, that provide for a death benefit of not more than four hundred dollars or for disability benefits of not more than three hundred fifty dollars to any one person in any one year or both; (5) nonprofit voluntary associations that provide ambulance service and are financed by subscription or gifts only; or (6) associations that are tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(23) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time.

(b) Any such society or association described in subdivision (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of this section, that provides for death or disability benefits for which benefit certificates are issued, and any such society or association included in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section that has more than one thousand members, shall not be exempt from the provisions of sections 38a-595 to 38a-626, inclusive, 38a-631 to 38a-640, inclusive, and 38a-800 but shall comply with all requirements in said sections. No society that, by the provisions of this section, is exempt from the requirements of said sections, except any society described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, shall give or allow, or promise to give or allow, to any person any compensation for procuring new members. Every society that provides for benefits in case of death or disability resulting solely from accidents, and that does not obligate itself to pay natural death or sick benefits, shall have all the privileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions and regulations of said sections, except that the provisions in said sections relating to medical examination, valuations of benefit certificates and incontestability shall not apply to such society. The commissioner may require from any society or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as will enable the commissioner to determine whether such society or association is exempt from the provisions of said sections. Societies exempted under the provisions of this section shall also be exempt from all other provisions of the insurance laws of this state. Except as provided in subsection (b) of section 38a-614 and section 38a-615, associations exempted under the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of this section shall also be exempt from all other provisions of the insurance laws of this state.

(1949 Rev., S. 6268, 6274; 1953, S. 2852d; 1957, P.A. 448, S. 42; 1963, P.A. 186; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 134.)

History: 1963 act exempted nonprofit voluntary associations providing ambulance service which are financed solely by subscription or gifts from provisions of chapter; Sec. 38-247 transferred to Sec. 38a-625 in 1991; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 designated provision re exemptions as Subsec. (a) and amended same by redesignating Subdivs. (a) to (e) as Subdivs. (1) to (5) and adding Subdiv. (6) re exemption for certain tax-exempt associations, designated provision re societies or associations that provide for death or disability benefits as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding exemption for certain tax-exempt associations, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2012.