{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-156.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-156.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-156.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-156.html"}],"law_id":82276,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82276,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-156","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1991, c. 600; 1997, c. 81; 2019, c. 375.","full_text":"As used in this chapter unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Assisted conception” means a pregnancy resulting from any intervening medical technology, whether in vivo or in vitro, which completely or partially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception. Such intervening medical technology includes, but is not limited to, conventional medical and surgical treatment as well as noncoital reproductive technology such as artificial insemination by donor, cryopreservation of gametes and embryos, in vitro fertilization, uterine embryo lavage, embryo transfer, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal ovum transfer.\n\t\t“Compensation” means payment of any valuable consideration for services in excess of reasonable medical and ancillary costs.\n\t\t“Cryopreservation” means freezing and storing of gametes and embryos for possible future use in assisted conception.\n\t\t“Donor” means an individual, other than a surrogate, who contributes the sperm or egg used in assisted conception.\n\t\t“Gamete” means either a sperm or an ovum.\n\t\t“Genetic parent” means an individual who contributes a gamete resulting in a conception.\n\t\t“Gestational mother” means the woman who gives birth to a child, regardless of her genetic relationship to the child.\n\t\t“Embryo” means the organism resulting from the union of a sperm and an ovum from first cell division until approximately the end of the second month of gestation.\n\t\t“Embryo transfer” means the placing of a viable embryo into the uterus of a gestational mother.\n\t\t“Infertile” means the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.\n\t\t“Intended parent” means a married couple or unmarried individual who enters into an agreement with a surrogate under the terms of which such parent will be the parent of any child born to the surrogate through assisted conception regardless of the genetic relationships between the intended parent, the surrogate, and the child.\n\t\t“In vitro” means any process that can be observed in an artificial environment such as a test tube or tissue culture plate.\n\t\t“In vitro fertilization” means the fertilization of ova by sperm in an artificial environment.\n\t\t“In vivo” means any process occurring within the living body.\n\t\t“Legal or contractual custody” means having authority granted by law, contract, or court order to make decisions concerning the use of an embryo.\n\t\t“Ovum” means the female gamete or reproductive cell prior to fertilization.\n\t\t“Reasonable medical and ancillary costs” means the costs of the performance of assisted conception, the costs of prenatal maternal health care, the costs of maternal and child health care for a reasonable postpartum period, the reasonable costs for medications and maternity clothes, and any additional and reasonable costs for housing and other living expenses attributable to the pregnancy.\n\t\t“Sperm” means the male gametes or reproductive cells which impregnate the ova.\n\t\t“Surrogacy contract” means an agreement between the intended parent, a surrogate, and her spouse, if any, in which the surrogate agrees to be impregnated through the use of assisted conception, to carry any resulting fetus, and to relinquish to the intended parent the custody of and parental rights to any resulting child.\n\t\t“Surrogate” means any adult woman who agrees to bear a child carried for the intended parent.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":294851,"text":"As used in this chapter unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Assisted conception” means a pregnancy resulting from any intervening medical technology, whether in vivo or in vitro, which completely or partially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception. Such intervening medical technology includes, but is not limited to, conventional medical and surgical treatment as well as noncoital reproductive technology such as artificial insemination by donor, cryopreservation of gametes and embryos, in vitro fertilization, uterine embryo lavage, embryo transfer, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal ovum transfer.\n\t\t“Compensation” means payment of any valuable consideration for services in excess of reasonable medical and ancillary costs.\n\t\t“Cryopreservation” means freezing and storing of gametes and embryos for possible future use in assisted conception.\n\t\t“Donor” means an individual, other than a surrogate, who contributes the sperm or egg used in assisted conception.\n\t\t“Gamete” means either a sperm or an ovum.\n\t\t“Genetic parent” means an individual who contributes a gamete resulting in a conception.\n\t\t“Gestational mother” means the woman who gives birth to a child, regardless of her genetic relationship to the child.\n\t\t“Embryo” means the organism resulting from the union of a sperm and an ovum from first cell division until approximately the end of the second month of gestation.\n\t\t“Embryo transfer” means the placing of a viable embryo into the uterus of a gestational mother.\n\t\t“Infertile” means the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.\n\t\t“Intended parent” means a married couple or unmarried individual who enters into an agreement with a surrogate under the terms of which such parent will be the parent of any child born to the surrogate through assisted conception regardless of the genetic relationships between the intended parent, the surrogate, and the child.\n\t\t“In vitro” means any process that can be observed in an artificial environment such as a test tube or tissue culture plate.\n\t\t“In vitro fertilization” means the fertilization of ova by sperm in an artificial environment.\n\t\t“In vivo” means any process occurring within the living body.\n\t\t“Legal or contractual custody” means having authority granted by law, contract, or court order to make decisions concerning the use of an embryo.\n\t\t“Ovum” means the female gamete or reproductive cell prior to fertilization.\n\t\t“Reasonable medical and ancillary costs” means the costs of the performance of assisted conception, the costs of prenatal maternal health care, the costs of maternal and child health care for a reasonable postpartum period, the reasonable costs for medications and maternity clothes, and any additional and reasonable costs for housing and other living expenses attributable to the pregnancy.\n\t\t“Sperm” means the male gametes or reproductive cells which impregnate the ova.\n\t\t“Surrogacy contract” means an agreement between the intended parent, a surrogate, and her spouse, if any, in which the surrogate agrees to be impregnated through the use of assisted conception, to carry any resulting fetus, and to relinquish to the intended parent the custody of and parental rights to any resulting child.\n\t\t“Surrogate” means any adult woman who agrees to bear a child carried for the intended parent.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13295,"edition_id":1,"name":"Status of Children of Assisted Conception","identifier":"9","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:35","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:35","permalink":{"id":179423,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13295,"identifier":"9","token":"20\/9","url":"\/20\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12711,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","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":178075,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12711,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82276,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-156","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-156\/","token":"20\/9\/20-156","metadata":false},{"id":72814,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-157","catch_line":"Virginia law to control","url":"\/20-157\/","token":"20\/9\/20-157","metadata":false},{"id":64023,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-158","catch_line":"Parentage of child resulting from assisted conception","url":"\/20-158\/","token":"20\/9\/20-158","metadata":false},{"id":58977,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","url":"\/20-159\/","token":"20\/9\/20-159","metadata":false},{"id":54684,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","url":"\/20-160\/","token":"20\/9\/20-160","metadata":false},{"id":78021,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-161","catch_line":"Termination of court-approved surrogacy contract","url":"\/20-161\/","token":"20\/9\/20-161","metadata":false},{"id":62248,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","url":"\/20-162\/","token":"20\/9\/20-162","metadata":false},{"id":72103,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-163","catch_line":"Miscellaneous provisions related to all surrogacy contracts","url":"\/20-163\/","token":"20\/9\/20-163","metadata":false},{"id":54285,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-164","catch_line":"Relation of parent and child","url":"\/20-164\/","token":"20\/9\/20-164","metadata":false},{"id":57273,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-165","catch_line":"Surrogate brokers prohibited; penalty; liability of surrogate brokers","url":"\/20-165\/","token":"20\/9\/20-165","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":72814,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-157","catch_line":"Virginia law to control","url":"\/20-157\/","token":"20\/9\/20-157","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-156\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 600 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 1991 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1997, chapter 81<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 375<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":81938,"section_number":"18.2-356.1","catch_line":"Purchasing or selling of minors; exceptions; penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-356.1\/"},{"id":58977,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-159\/"},{"id":62248,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-162\/"},{"id":82311,"section_number":"32.1-257","catch_line":"Filing birth certificates; from whom required; signatures of parents","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-257\/"},{"id":65069,"section_number":"64.2-102","catch_line":"Meaning of child and related terms","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-102\/"},{"id":71543,"section_number":"64.2-2013","catch_line":"Standby guardianship or conservatorship for incapacitated persons","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-2013\/"},{"id":84769,"section_number":"64.2-204","catch_line":"Afterborn heirs","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-204\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":179425,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82276,"identifier":"20-156","token":"20\/9\/20-156","url":"\/20-156\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-156\/","token":"20\/9\/20-156","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-156","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Assisted conception<\/span>” means a pregnancy resulting from any intervening medical technology, whether in vivo<\/span> or in vitro, which completely or partially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception. Such intervening medical technology includes, but is not limited to, conventional medical and surgical treatment as well as noncoital reproductive technology such as artificial insemination by donor<\/span>, cryopreservation<\/span> of gametes<\/span> and embryos<\/span>, in vitro fertilization<\/span>, uterine embryo lavage, embryo transfer<\/span>, gamete<\/span> intrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal ovum<\/span> transfer.\n\t\t“Compensation<\/span>” means payment of any valuable consideration for services in excess of reasonable medical and ancillary costs<\/span>.\n\t\t“Cryopreservation<\/span>” means freezing and storing of gametes<\/span> and embryos<\/span> for possible future use in assisted conception<\/span>.\n\t\t“Donor<\/span>” means an individual, other than a surrogate<\/span>, who contributes the sperm<\/span> or egg used in assisted conception<\/span>.\n\t\t“Gamete<\/span>” means either a sperm<\/span> or an ovum<\/span>.\n\t\t“Genetic parent<\/span>” means an individual who contributes a gamete<\/span> resulting in a conception.\n\t\t“Gestational mother<\/span>” means the woman who gives birth to a child, regardless of her genetic relationship to the child.\n\t\t“Embryo” means the organism resulting from the union of a sperm<\/span> and an ovum<\/span> from first cell division until approximately the end of the second month of gestation.\n\t\t“Embryo transfer<\/span>” means the placing of a viable embryo into the uterus of a gestational mother<\/span>.\n\t\t“Infertile<\/span>” means the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.\n\t\t“Intended parent<\/span>” means a married couple or unmarried individual who enters into an agreement with a surrogate<\/span> under the terms of which such parent will be the parent of any child born to the surrogate<\/span> through assisted conception<\/span> regardless of the genetic relationships between the intended parent<\/span>, the surrogate<\/span>, and the child.\n\t\t“In vitro” means any process that can be observed in an artificial environment such as a test tube or tissue culture plate.\n\t\t“In vitro fertilization<\/span>” means the fertilization of ova by sperm<\/span> in an artificial environment.\n\t\t“In vivo<\/span>” means any process occurring within the living body.\n\t\t“Legal or contractual custody<\/span>” means having authority granted by law<\/span>, contract, or court order<\/span> to make decisions concerning the use of an embryo.\n\t\t“Ovum<\/span>” means the female gamete<\/span> or reproductive cell prior to fertilization.\n\t\t“Reasonable medical and ancillary costs<\/span>” means the costs of the performance of assisted conception<\/span>, the costs of prenatal maternal health care, the costs of maternal and child health care for a reasonable postpartum period, the reasonable costs for medications and maternity clothes, and any additional and reasonable costs for housing and other living expenses attributable to the pregnancy.\n\t\t“Sperm<\/span>” means the male gametes<\/span> or reproductive cells which impregnate the ova.\n\t\t“Surrogacy contract<\/span>” means an agreement between the intended parent<\/span>, a surrogate<\/span>, and her spouse, if any, in which the surrogate<\/span> agrees to be impregnated through the use of assisted conception<\/span>, to carry any resulting fetus, and to relinquish to the intended parent<\/span> the custody of and parental rights to any resulting child.\n\t\t“Surrogate<\/span>” means any adult woman who agrees to bear a child carried for the intended parent<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 20-156)\n\nAs used in this chapter unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Assisted conception” means a pregnancy resulting from any\nintervening medical technology, whether in vivo or in vitro, which completely or\npartially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception. Such\nintervening medical technology includes, but is not limited to, conventional\nmedical and surgical treatment as well as noncoital reproductive technology such\nas artificial insemination by donor, cryopreservation of gametes and embryos, in\nvitro fertilization, uterine embryo lavage, embryo transfer, gamete\nintrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal ovum transfer.\n\t\t“Compensation” means payment of any valuable consideration for\nservices in excess of reasonable medical and ancillary costs.\n\t\t“Cryopreservation” means freezing and storing of gametes and\nembryos for possible future use in assisted conception.\n\t\t“Donor” means an individual, other than a surrogate, who\ncontributes the sperm or egg used in assisted conception.\n\t\t“Gamete” means either a sperm or an ovum.\n\t\t“Genetic parent” means an individual who contributes a gamete\nresulting in a conception.\n\t\t“Gestational mother” means the woman who gives birth to a child,\nregardless of her genetic relationship to the child.\n\t\t“Embryo” means the organism resulting from the union of a sperm\nand an ovum from first cell division until approximately the end of the second\nmonth of gestation.\n\t\t“Embryo transfer” means the placing of a viable embryo into the\nuterus of a gestational mother.\n\t\t“Infertile” means the inability to conceive after one year of\nunprotected sexual intercourse.\n\t\t“Intended parent” means a married couple or unmarried individual\nwho enters into an agreement with a surrogate under the terms of which such\nparent will be the parent of any child born to the surrogate through assisted\nconception regardless of the genetic relationships between the intended parent,\nthe surrogate, and the child.\n\t\t“In vitro” means any process that can be observed in an artificial\nenvironment such as a test tube or tissue culture plate.\n\t\t“In vitro fertilization” means the fertilization of ova by sperm\nin an artificial environment.\n\t\t“In vivo” means any process occurring within the living body.\n\t\t“Legal or contractual custody” means having authority granted by\nlaw, contract, or court order to make decisions concerning the use of an embryo.\n\t\t“Ovum” means the female gamete or reproductive cell prior to\nfertilization.\n\t\t“Reasonable medical and ancillary costs” means the costs of the\nperformance of assisted conception, the costs of prenatal maternal health care,\nthe costs of maternal and child health care for a reasonable postpartum period,\nthe reasonable costs for medications and maternity clothes, and any additional\nand reasonable costs for housing and other living expenses attributable to the\npregnancy.\n\t\t“Sperm” means the male gametes or reproductive cells which\nimpregnate the ova.\n\t\t“Surrogacy contract” means an agreement between the intended\nparent, a surrogate, and her spouse, if any, in which the surrogate agrees to be\nimpregnated through the use of assisted conception, to carry any resulting\nfetus, and to relinquish to the intended parent the custody of and parental\nrights to any resulting child.\n\t\t“Surrogate” means any adult woman who agrees to bear a child\ncarried for the intended parent.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 600; 1997, c. 81; 2019, c. 375.","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}}