(a)    A charitable organization shall register and receive a registration letter from the Secretary of State before the charitable organization:

(1)    solicits charitable contributions in the State;

(2)    has charitable contributions solicited on its behalf in the State; or

(3)    solicits charitable contributions outside of the State, if the charitable organization is in the State.

(b)    A separate registration statement and a registration letter is necessary before any of the following charitable organizations can solicit:

(1)    a federated fund-raising organization consisting of independent charitable organizations, including a united fund and a community chest, that:

(i)    have joined to solicit charitable contributions and distribute them among themselves; but

(ii)    keep their own operating authority and control; or

(2)    an independent charitable organization, including one that is a member of a federated fund-raising organization, unless it is specifically exempted or it does not solicit charitable contributions other than as a member of a federated fund-raising organization.

(c)    (1)    A parent organization shall submit a consolidated registration statement for the affiliates, branches, or chapters in the State that it coordinates, controls, or supervises.

(2)    An affiliate, branch, or chapter of a charitable organization shall:

(i)    report information needed for a consolidated registration statement to its parent organization;

(ii)    submit a separate registration statement; and

(iii)    receive a registration letter from the Secretary of State prior to soliciting.

(3)    For purposes of this subsection, an independent member agency of a federated fund-raising organization is not an affiliate, branch, or chapter.