(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 be based on the following tables:

(1) For certificates of life insurance, the Commissioner’s 1941 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, the Commissioner’s 1941 Standard Industrial Mortality Table, the Commissioner’s 1958 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, the Commissioner’s 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table or any more recent table made applicable to life insurers; and

(2) For annuity and pure endowment certificates, for total and permanent disability benefits, for accidental death benefits and for noncancelable accident and health benefits, such tables as are authorized for use by life insurers in this State.

All of the above shall be under valuation methods and standards (including interest assumptions) in accordance with the laws of this State applicable to life insurers issuing policies containing like benefits.

(c) The Commissioner may, in his or her discretion, accept other standards for valuation if the Commissioner finds that the reserves produced thereby will not be less in the aggregate than reserves computed in accordance with the minimum valuation standard herein prescribed. The Commissioner may, in his or her discretion, vary the standards of mortality applicable to all benefit contracts on substandard lives or other extra hazardous lives by any society authorized to do business in this State.

(d) Any society, with the consent of the Commissioner of Insurance of the state of domicile of the society and under such conditions, if any, which the Commissioner may impose, may establish and maintain reserves on its certificates in excess of the reserves required thereunder, but the contractual rights of any benefit member shall not be affected thereby.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

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 a true statement of its financial condition, transactions and affairs for the preceding calendar year and pay the fee set forth in § 701 of this title for filing same. The statement shall be in the general form and context as approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for fraternal benefit societies and as supplemented by additional information required by the Commissioner.

(2) As part of the annual statement herein required, each society shall, on or before the 1st day of March, file with the Commissioner a valuation of its certificates in force on December 31 last preceding, provided the Commissioner may, in his or her discretion for cause shown, extend the time for filing such valuation for not more than 2 calendar months. Such valuation shall be done in accordance with the standards specified in § 6225 of this title. Such valuation and underlying data shall be certified by a qualified actuary or, at the expense of the society, verified by the actuary of the department of insurance of the state of domicile of the society.

(3) A society neglecting to file the annual statement in the form and within the time provided by this section may be subject to a fine of $100 dollars for each day during which such neglect continues, and its authority to do business in this State may be suspended by the Commissioner while such default continues.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  84 Del. Laws, c. 336, § 4; 

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 the next succeeding April 1. However, a license so issued shall continue in full force and effect until the new license is issued or specifically refused. For each such new license or renewal, the society shall pay the Commissioner the fees set forth in § 701 of this title. A duly certified copy or duplicate of such license shall be prima facie evidence that the licensee is a fraternal benefit society within the meaning of this chapter.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  84 Del. Laws, c. 336, § 5; 

(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 examination of domestic, foreign or alien insurers. Requirements of notice and an opportunity to respond before findings are made public, as provided in the laws regulating insurers, shall also be applicable to the examination of societies.

(b) The expense of each examination and of each valuation, including compensation and actual expense of examiners, shall be paid by the society examined or whose certificates are valued, upon statements furnished by the Commissioner.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

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 chapter applicable to domestic societies. Any such society may be licensed to transact business in this State upon filing with the Commissioner:

(1) A duly certified copy of its chapters of incorporation;

(2) A copy of its bylaws, certified by its secretary or corresponding officer;

(3) A power of attorney to the Commissioner as prescribed in § 6235 of this title;

(4) A statement of its business under oath of its president and secretary or corresponding officers in a form prescribed by the Commissioner, duly verified by an examination made by the supervising insurance official of its home state or other state, territory, province or country, satisfactory to the Commissioner;

(5) Certification from the proper official of its home state, territory, province or country that the society is legally incorporated and licensed to transact business therein;

(6) Copies of its certificate forms; and

(7) Such other information as the Commissioner may deem necessary;

upon a showing that its assets are invested in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1; 

(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 membership of less than 400 after an existence of 1 year or more or is conducting business fraudulently or in a manner hazardous to its members, creditors or the public, the Commissioner shall notify the society of such deficiency or deficiencies and state in writing the reasons for his or her dissatisfaction. The Commissioner shall simultaneously issue a written notice to the society requiring that the deficiency or deficiencies which exist be corrected. After such notice, the society shall have a 30-day period in which to comply with the Commissioner’s request for correction, and if the society fails to comply, the Commissioner shall take such action as is necessary and appropriate under Chapter 59 of this title.

(b) The Commissioner may take such action as is necessary and appropriate under this section with respect to domestic society which shall voluntarily determine to discontinue business.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

(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 with any of the provisions of this chapter;

(3) Is not fulfilling its contracts in good faith; or

(4) Is conducting its business fraudulently or in a manner hazardous to its members or creditors or the public, the Commissioner shall notify the society of such deficiency or deficiencies and state in writing the reasons for his or her dissatisfaction. The Commissioner shall at once issue a written notice to the society requiring that the deficiency or deficiencies which exist are corrected. After such notice, the society shall have a 30-day period in which to comply with the Commissioner’s request for correction and if the society fails to comply, the Commissioner shall notify the society of such findings of noncompliance and require the society to show cause, on a date named, why its license should not be suspended, revoked or refused. If on such date, the society does not present good and sufficient reason why its authority to do business in this State should not be suspended, revoked or refused, the Commissioner may suspend or refuse the license of the society to do business in this State until satisfactory evidence is furnished to the Commissioner that such suspension or refusal should be withdrawn or the Commissioner may revoke the authority of the society to do business in this State.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be taken or construed as preventing any such society from continuing in good faith all contracts made in this State during the time such society was legally authorized to transact business herein.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

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; 

(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 regular salaried officer, employee or member of a licensed society who devotes substantially all of his or her services to activities other than the solicitation of fraternal insurance contracts from the public and who receives for the solicitation of such contracts no commission or other compensation directly dependent upon the amount of business obtained.

(c) Any agent or representative of a society who devotes or intends to devote less than 50% of the agent’s or representative’s time to solicitation and procurement of insurance contracts for such society shall be exempt from the requirements of subsection (a) of this section. Any person who, in the preceding calendar year, has solicited and procured life insurance contracts on behalf of any society in an amount of insurance in excess of $125,000 or, in the case of any other kind or kinds of insurance which the society might write, on the persons of more than 25 individuals and who has received or will receive a commission or other compensation therefor, shall be presumed to be devoting or intending to devote 50% of the person’s time to the solicitation or procurement of insurance contracts for such society.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

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 applying to or affecting the right of any society to determine its eligibility requirements for membership or be construed as applying to or affecting the offering of benefits exclusively to members or persons eligible for membership in the society by a subsidiary corporation or affiliated organization of the society.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;