Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 175, sec. 122 — MA Code / Part I / Title XXII / Chapter 175 / Section 122
Discrimination against colored persons of African descent in conditions and premium charged for policies of life insurance prohibited
Status: in_force

Section 122. No life company shall make any distinction or discrimination between white persons and colored persons wholly or partly of African descent as to the premiums or rates charged for policies upon the lives of such persons; nor shall any such company demand or require greater premiums from such colored persons than are at that time required by such company from white persons of the same age, sex, general condition of health and prospect of longevity; nor shall any such company make or require any rebate, diminution or discount upon the amount to be paid on such policy in case of the death of such colored person insured, nor insert in the policy any condition, nor make any stipulation whereby such person insured shall bind himself or his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns to accept any amount less than the full value or amount of such policy in case of a claim accruing thereon, by reason of the death of such person insured, other than such as are imposed upon white persons in similar cases; and any such stipulation or condition so made or inserted shall be void. Any such company which shall refuse the application of any such colored person for insurance upon such person's life shall furnish such person, on his request therefor, with the certificate of a regular examining physician of such company who made the examination, stating that such refusal was not because such applicant is a person of color, but solely upon such grounds of the general health and prospect of longevity of such person as would be applicable to white persons of the same age and sex. A company or an officer or agent thereof who violates any provision hereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.

Section 122. No life company shall make any distinction or discrimination between white persons and colored persons wholly or partly of African descent as to the premiums or rates charged for policies upon the lives of such persons; nor shall any such company demand or require greater premiums from such colored persons than are at that time required by such company from white persons of the same age, sex, general condition of health and prospect of longevity; nor shall any such company make or require any rebate, diminution or discount upon the amount to be paid on such policy in case of the death of such colored person insured, nor insert in the policy any condition, nor make any stipulation whereby such person insured shall bind himself or his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns to accept any amount less than the full value or amount of such policy in case of a claim accruing thereon, by reason of the death of such person insured, other than such as are imposed upon white persons in similar cases; and any such stipulation or condition so made or inserted shall be void.

Any such company which shall refuse the application of any such colored person for insurance upon such person's life shall furnish such person, on his request therefor, with the certificate of a regular examining physician of such company who made the examination, stating that such refusal was not because such applicant is a person of color, but solely upon such grounds of the general health and prospect of longevity of such person as would be applicable to white persons of the same age and sex.

A company or an officer or agent thereof who violates any provision hereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.