{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-8-8-205","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 8, § 8-205","heading":"Exemption from insurance laws - Operating expenses and","body":"trust fund - Mutual character - Members - Articles of agreement -\n\nFees and assessments.\n\nThat all burial associations now operating or that may be\n\nhereafter organized, as incorporated or nonincorporated\n\nassociations, which are nonprofit sharing in their operations and\n\npay no fees or salaries to any of their officers and have no capital\n\nstock and which comply with the provisions of this act shall be\n\nexempt from the operations and the effect of the insurance laws of\n\nthe State of Oklahoma; and shall not be required to comply with the\n\ninsurance laws of the said state; provided, that all monies\n\ncollected by said associations shall be accounted for; provided\n\nfurther that not more than twenty-five percent (25%) of said funds\n\nare to be used for operating expenses, and not less than seventy-\n\nfive percent (75%) of the funds so collected is to be held as a\n\ntrust fund for the benefit of the members.\n\nAssociations licensed under this act shall be mutual\n\nassociations and every person who applies for and holds a burial\n\nagreement shall be a member of the association, in accordance with\n\nthe bylaws of the association and shall be entitled to one vote, and\n\nsuch members may vote in person or by proxy. Burial associations\n\nare hereby declared to be charitable and benevolent associations.\n\nThe following shall be the Uniform Article of Agreement between\n\nburial associations and their members.\n\nARTICLES OF AGREEMENT\n\nArticle 1. In consideration of One Dollar ($1.00) Membership\n\nfee and assessments of fifty cents ($0.50) per month, or Five\n\nDollars ($5.00) for twelve (12) assessments if paid in advance, we\n\nagree to furnish the following protection for an entire family who\n\nlive at home, and are solely dependent upon the head of the house.\n\nThis protection also covers school students. All applicants must be\n\nin good health at the time of application for membership. Upon\n\nmarriage of any of the children, they are automatically dropped from\n\nthis certificate.\n\nArticle 2. All assessments are due on the first day of each\n\nmonth and carry fifteen (15) days grace, becoming delinquent on\n\nmidnight of the fifteenth. Any certificate which has lapsed on\n\naccount of failure to pay an assessment, may be reinstated by paying\n\na fifty-cent assessment, provided that if any member of the family\n\nis sick at the time of such reinstatement benefits will not be\n\nreinstated on such sick person until his recovery.\n\nArticle 3. All persons between the ages of seven (7) and\n\nseventy (70) at the time of application for membership are entitled\n\nto One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) burial benefits; all children under\n\nthe age of seven (7) are entitled to Fifty Dollars ($50.00) burial\n\nbenefits; upon reaching the age of seven (7), children are\n\nautomatically entitled to One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) burial\n\nbenefits; applicants who join after they have reached the age of\n\nseventy (70) are entitled to Fifty Dollars ($50.00) burial benefits.\n\nStillborn babies are entitled to Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) burial\n\nbenefits. In the event a baby is born into the family, the name may\n\nbe placed on the certificate at no additional charge.\n\nArticle 4. All benefits are for service and merchandise only\n\nand must be furnished by the association. Said association will not\n\nbe responsible for any debts incurred by the death of any member of\n\nthis association.\n\nArticle 5. In the event death occurs beyond the distance of\n\nfifty (50) miles, the burial association being duly notified, may,\n\nin lieu of the above complete service, deliver to the express office\n\nfor shipment, merchandise in the value as specified in this\n\ncertificate, or mail Sixty Dollars ($60.00) to the policy holder.\n\nAll express charges shall be paid by the certificate holder.\n\nProvided further that the Oklahoma State Board of Embalmers and\n\nFuneral Directors shall draft a uniform application for membership\nd, may,\n\nin lieu of the above complete service, deliver to the express office\n\nfor shipment, merchandise in the value as specified in this\n\ncertificate, or mail Sixty Dollars ($60.00) to the policy holder.\n\nAll express charges shall be paid by the certificate holder.\n\nProvided further that the Oklahoma State Board of Embalmers and\n\nFuneral Directors shall draft a uniform application for membership\n\nwhich shall be used by all burial associations operating in the\n\nState of Oklahoma, or which may be hereafter organized, said\n\napplication for membership shall have printed across the face in red\n\nink the following language: \"This is not an application for life\n\ninsurance.\" Said Board shall also provide for uniform membership\n\nfees, dues and/or assessments; the membership fee of One Dollar\n\n($1.00) shall be the assessment for the first month in which the\n\nagreement is issued, provided the remaining dues or assessments to\n\nbe not less than fifty cents ($0.50) on a monthly basis, provided,\n\nhowever, that twelve (12) assessments may be paid in advance for\n\nFive Dollars ($5.00) and, provided further that if the funds on hand\n\nin the trust fund are equal to fifty cents ($0.50) for each\n\ncertificate in force a monthly assessment may be passed until such\n\ntime as the funds in the trust are less than fifty cents ($0.50) for\n\neach certificate in force. Provided that any association now in\n\nexistence charging a less sum may continue to service all\n\ncertificates now in effect at existing rates specified in the\n\ncertificates; and certificates which lapse, and all new certificates\n\nmust be written at the uniform rate set up by this act. No burial\n\nassociation licensed pursuant to the provisions of this act shall\n\nhave the authority to levy any assessment on its members other than\n\nthe assessment expressly provided for in the Uniform Article of\n\nAgreement. All certificates of membership issued by said\n\nassociations shall have printed across the face of said certificate\n\nthe following language: \"This is not a certificate of life\n\ninsurance.\"","path":["OK Code","Title 8"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os8.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"3bc9f93f29c2708c13ef2540094928f8e666d798c5e0f50c8e8804a5ced385d8","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-8-8-204","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-8-8-206"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}