{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/38.2-4103.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/38.2-4103.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/38.2-4103.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/38.2-4103.html"}],"law_id":70287,"edition_id":1,"section_id":70287,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4103","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1986, c. 562.","full_text":"As used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Benefit contract” means the agreement for provision of benefits authorized by \u00a7 38.2-4116, as that agreement is described in \u00a7 38.2-4119.\n\t\t“Benefit member” means an adult member who is designated by the laws or rules of the society to be a benefit member under a benefit contract.\n\t\t“Certificate” means the document issued as written evidence of the benefit contract.\n\t\t“Laws” means the society’s articles of incorporation, constitution and bylaws, however designated.\n\t\t“Lodge” means subordinate member units of the society, known as camps, courts, councils, branches or by any other designation.\n\t\t“Premiums” means premiums, rates, dues or other required contributions by whatever name known, which are payable under the certificate.\n\t\t“Rules” means all rules, regulations or resolutions adopted by the supreme governing body or board of directors which are intended to have general application to the members of the society.\n\t\t“Society” means fraternal benefit society, unless otherwise indicated.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":253776,"text":"As used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Benefit contract” means the agreement for provision of benefits authorized by \u00a7 38.2-4116, as that agreement is described in \u00a7 38.2-4119.\n\t\t“Benefit member” means an adult member who is designated by the laws or rules of the society to be a benefit member under a benefit contract.\n\t\t“Certificate” means the document issued as written evidence of the benefit contract.\n\t\t“Laws” means the society’s articles of incorporation, constitution and bylaws, however designated.\n\t\t“Lodge” means subordinate member units of the society, known as camps, courts, councils, branches or by any other designation.\n\t\t“Premiums” means premiums, rates, dues or other required contributions by whatever name known, which are payable under the certificate.\n\t\t“Rules” means all rules, regulations or resolutions adopted by the supreme governing body or board of directors which are intended to have general application to the members of the society.\n\t\t“Society” means fraternal benefit society, unless otherwise indicated.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16110,"edition_id":1,"name":"Structure and Purpose","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13775,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:06:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:06:19","permalink":{"id":216493,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16110,"identifier":"1","token":"38.2\/41\/1","url":"\/38.2\/41\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13775,"edition_id":1,"name":"Fraternal Benefit Societies","identifier":"41","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12698,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:51","permalink":{"id":216491,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13775,"identifier":"41","token":"38.2\/41","url":"\/38.2\/41\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12698,"edition_id":1,"name":"Insurance","identifier":"38.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":210661,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12698,"identifier":"38.2","token":"38.2","url":"\/38.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":79636,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4100","catch_line":"Fraternal benefit societies","url":"\/38.2-4100\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4100","metadata":false},{"id":63648,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4101","catch_line":"Lodge system","url":"\/38.2-4101\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4101","metadata":false},{"id":67367,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4102","catch_line":"Representative form of government","url":"\/38.2-4102\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4102","metadata":false},{"id":70287,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4103","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/38.2-4103\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4103","metadata":false},{"id":84175,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4104","catch_line":"Purposes and powers","url":"\/38.2-4104\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4104","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":67367,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4102","catch_line":"Representative form of government","url":"\/38.2-4102\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4102","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":84175,"structure_id":16110,"section_number":"38.2-4104","catch_line":"Purposes and powers","url":"\/38.2-4104\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4104","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/38.2-4103\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1986. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 562 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1986 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":64367,"section_number":"38.2-4116","catch_line":"Benefits","order_by":null,"url":"\/38.2-4116\/"},{"id":81281,"section_number":"38.2-4119","catch_line":"The benefit contract","order_by":null,"url":"\/38.2-4119\/"}],"permalink":{"id":216507,"object_type":"law","relational_id":70287,"identifier":"38.2-4103","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4103","url":"\/38.2-4103\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/38.2-4103\/","token":"38.2\/41\/1\/38.2-4103","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 38.2-4103","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Benefit contract<\/span>” means the agreement for provision of benefits authorized by \u00a7 38.2-4116<\/a>, as that agreement is described in \u00a7 38.2-4119<\/a>.\n\t\t“Benefit member<\/span>” means an adult member who is designated by the laws<\/span><\/span> or rules<\/span> of the society<\/span> to be a benefit member<\/span> under a benefit contract<\/span>.\n\t\t“Certificate<\/span>” means the document issued as written evidence<\/span> of the benefit contract<\/span>.\n\t\t“Laws<\/span><\/span>” means the society<\/span>’s articles of incorporation, constitution and bylaws, however designated.\n\t\t“Lodge<\/span>” means subordinate member units of the society<\/span>, known as camps, courts<\/span>, councils, branches or by any other designation.\n\t\t“Premiums<\/span>” means premiums<\/span>, rates<\/span><\/span>, dues or other required contributions by whatever name known, which are payable under the certificate<\/span>.\n\t\t“Rules<\/span>” means all rules<\/span>, regulations or resolutions adopted by the supreme governing body or board of directors which are intended to have general application to the members of the society<\/span>.\n\t\t“Society<\/span>” means fraternal benefit society<\/span>, unless otherwise indicated.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 38.2-4103)\n\nAs used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Benefit contract” means the agreement for provision of benefits\nauthorized by \u00a7 38.2-4116, as that agreement is described in \u00a7 38.2-4119.\n\t\t“Benefit member” means an adult member who is designated by the\nlaws or rules of the society to be a benefit member under a benefit contract.\n\t\t“Certificate” means the document issued as written evidence of the\nbenefit contract.\n\t\t“Laws” means the society’s articles of incorporation,\nconstitution and bylaws, however designated.\n\t\t“Lodge” means subordinate member units of the society, known as\ncamps, courts, councils, branches or by any other designation.\n\t\t“Premiums” means premiums, rates, dues or other required\ncontributions by whatever name known, which are payable under the certificate.\n\t\t“Rules” means all rules, regulations or resolutions adopted by the\nsupreme governing body or board of directors which are intended to have general\napplication to the members of the society.\n\t\t“Society” means fraternal benefit society, unless otherwise\nindicated.\n\nHISTORY: 1986, c. 562.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}