Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §194, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 550, Pt. A, §1, is amended to read:

1. Definition. As used in this section and sections 194-A to 194-H and section 194-K, "public charity" means an entity formed primarily for charitable purposes, including but not limited to:

A. A corporation formed under Title 13 or Title 13-B primarily for charitable purposes; and

B. A charitable trust.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §194-A, sub-§1, ķI, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 344, §1, is amended to read:

I. "Materially changes its form" or "material change in form" means any transaction that the superintendent or Attorney General determines has transferred control of the organization to a noncharitable organization person other than a public charity as defined in section 194, substantially changed the organization's legal or regulatory status or substantially changed the organization's purposes, including, but not limited to, conversion, dissolution, merger, division, consolidation, amalgamation, disposition of substantially all of an organization's business, line of business or assets, lease, exchange, restructuring or bulk reinsurance transfer.

Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §194-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 344, §1 and affected by §10, is amended to read:

2. Charitable status of organization. Any nonprofit hospital and medical service organization is a charitable and benevolent institution and a public charity and its assets are held for the purpose of fulfilling the charitable purposes of the organization. The charitable purposes may include, but are not limited to, the following: providing access to medical care through affordable health insurance and affordable managed care products for persons of all incomes; identifying and addressing the State's unmet health care needs, particularly with regard to medically uninsured and underserved populations; making services and care available through participating providers; and improving the quality of care for medically uninsured and underserved populations. The following ownership interests apply in any proceeding in court or before the superintendent in which the ownership of the organization is at issue or is relevant.