* § 451-a. Qualifications for membership. 1. Subject to approval of the superintendent, the membership of a credit union shall consist of persons within the credit union's field of membership who have been duly admitted members. Subject to the approval of the superintendent, a credit union's field of membership may include one or more of the following categories:

1. (a) Persons:

   1. (1) within the same occupation or from multiple groups each representing a different occupation;
   2. (2) within the same association or interest or from multiple groups each representing a different association or interest;
   3. (3) who reside, work, worship or attend school within a well-defined identifiable neighborhood, community or rural district and who, in the judgment of the superintendent, have such a community of interest as will ensure proper administration. For purposes of this section a "well-defined identifiable neighborhood, community or rural district" means one or more adjacent precincts, districts, cities, counties or other boundaries defined by the state or a unit of government or by a state or government agency; or
   4. (4) within a combination of these three categories described in this subdivision; or
2. (b) Businesses, associations or organizations located within a well-defined geographic area and which, in the judgment of the superintendent, have such a community of interest as will ensure proper administration; or
3. (c) Family members of such persons described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision. For the purposes of this paragraph, "family member" means a person related by blood, marriage or living in the same household with a person within the field of membership and their lineal ancestors and descendants including persons so related by adoption, siblings, stepparents, stepchildren and stepsiblings; and "household" means persons living in the same residence and maintaining a single economic unit; or
4. (d) Any employee of the credit union; or
5. (e) Any member who leaves the field of membership and who has not withdrawn or been expelled may retain membership; or
6. (f) Any incorporated or unincorporated organization composed principally of persons eligible to membership in the credit union and that organization's employees.
7. 2. Any person who is eligible for membership by reason of the fact that he or she is an employee of a common employer or of a credit union shall not become ineligible, after the termination of such employment, as long as he or she receives a pension or annuity from, or under, a plan or other arrangement established by such common employer or credit union.
8. 3. Subject to approval of the superintendent, a credit union may extend membership to persons and organizations in an underserved local community, neighborhood or rural district where such area is considered an "investment area" as defined in the federal Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12 U.S.C. 4703(16)). * NB Effective March 17, 2015