{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1228.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1228.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1228.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1228.html"}],"law_id":73962,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73962,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228","catch_line":"Forwarding of petition","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 63-349; 1954, c. 489; 1956, c. 489; 1956, c. 187; 1962, c. 603; 1964, c. 429; 1968, cc. 346, 578, \u00a7 63.1-223; 1974, cc. 26, 493, 507; 1975, c. 364; 1978, c. 730; 1980, c. 740; 1982, c. 115; 1988, cc. 579, 599, 882; 1989, c. 647; 1992, c. 607; 1993, c. 553; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7 63.1-219.35; 2002, c. 747; 2006, cc. 825, 848; 2022, c. 377.","full_text":"Upon the filing of the petition, the circuit court shall, upon being satisfied as to proper jurisdiction and venue, immediately enter an interlocutory order or an order referring the case to a child-placing agency to conduct an investigation and prepare a report pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208. Upon entry of the interlocutory order or the order of reference, the court shall forward a copy of the petition and all exhibits thereto to the Commissioner and to the agency that placed the child. In cases where the child was placed by an agency in another state, or by an agency, court, or other entity in another country, the petition and all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director or licensed child-placing agency, whichever agency completed the home study or provided supervision. If no Virginia agency provided such services, or such agency is no longer licensed or has gone out of business, the petition and all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director of the locality where the petitioners reside or resided at the time of filing the petition or had legal residence at the time of the filing of the petition.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":266018,"text":"Upon the filing of the petition, the circuit court shall, upon being satisfied as to proper jurisdiction and venue, immediately enter an interlocutory order or an order referring the case to a child-placing agency to conduct an investigation and prepare a report pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208. Upon entry of the interlocutory order or the order of reference, the court shall forward a copy of the petition and all exhibits thereto to the Commissioner and to the agency that placed the child. In cases where the child was placed by an agency in another state, or by an agency, court, or other entity in another country, the petition and all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director or licensed child-placing agency, whichever agency completed the home study or provided supervision. If no Virginia agency provided such services, or such agency is no longer licensed or has gone out of business, the petition and all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director of the locality where the petitioners reside or resided at the time of filing the petition or had legal residence at the time of the filing of the petition.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15572,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agency Adoptions","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14096,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:26","permalink":{"id":271487,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15572,"identifier":"2","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14096,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adoption","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13897,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","permalink":{"id":271365,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14096,"identifier":"12","token":"63.2\/III\/12","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13897,"edition_id":1,"name":"Social Services Programs","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12789,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","permalink":{"id":271331,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13897,"identifier":"III","token":"63.2\/III","url":"\/63.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12789,"edition_id":1,"name":"Welfare (Social Services)","identifier":"63.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":270661,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12789,"identifier":"63.2","token":"63.2","url":"\/63.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":87110,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1221","catch_line":"Placement of children for adoption by agency or local board","url":"\/63.2-1221\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1221","metadata":false},{"id":80789,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1222","catch_line":"Execution of entrustment agreement by birth parent(s); exceptions; notice and objection to entrustment; copy required to be furnished; requirement for agencies outside the Commonwealth","url":"\/63.2-1222\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1222","metadata":false},{"id":66503,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1223","catch_line":"Revocation of entrustment agreement","url":"\/63.2-1223\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1223","metadata":false},{"id":66793,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1224","catch_line":"Explanation of process, legal effects of adoption required","url":"\/63.2-1224\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1224","metadata":false},{"id":74467,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1225","catch_line":"Determination of appropriate home","url":"\/63.2-1225\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1225","metadata":false},{"id":59404,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1226","catch_line":"When birth parents recommend adoptive parents","url":"\/63.2-1226\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1226","metadata":false},{"id":75367,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1227","catch_line":"Filing of petition for agency adoption","url":"\/63.2-1227\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1227","metadata":false},{"id":73962,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228","catch_line":"Forwarding of petition","url":"\/63.2-1228\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228","metadata":false},{"id":76967,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1228.1\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228.1","metadata":false},{"id":84546,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1229","catch_line":"Foster parent adoption","url":"\/63.2-1229\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1229","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":75367,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1227","catch_line":"Filing of petition for agency adoption","url":"\/63.2-1227\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1227","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":76967,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1228.1\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1228\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 20 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 1954, chapter 489; in 1956, chapter 489; in 1956, chapter 187; in 1962, chapter 603; in 1964, chapter 429; in 1968, chapters 346 and 578; in 1974, chapters 26, 493, and 507; in 1975, chapter 364; in 1978, chapter 730; in 1980, chapter 740; in 1982, chapter 115; in 1988, chapters 579, 599, and 882; in 1989, chapter 647; in 1992, chapter 607; in 1993, chapter 553; in 1995, chapters 772<\/a> and 826<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 830<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>; in 2006, chapters 825<\/a> and 848<\/a>; in 2022, chapter 377<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":58081,"section_number":"63.2-1208","catch_line":"Investigations; report to circuit court","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1208\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":58081,"section_number":"63.2-1208","catch_line":"Investigations; report to circuit court","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1208\/"}],"permalink":{"id":271517,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73962,"identifier":"63.2-1228","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228","url":"\/63.2-1228\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1228\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228","dublin_core":{"Title":"Forwarding of petition","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1228","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Upon the filing of the petition<\/span>, the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall, upon being satisfied as to proper jurisdiction<\/span> and venue<\/span>, immediately enter an interlocutory order<\/span> or an order referring the case to a child<\/span>-placing agency<\/span> to conduct an investigation and prepare a report pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208<\/a>. Upon entry of the interlocutory order<\/span> or the order of reference, the court<\/span> shall forward a copy of the petition<\/span> and all exhibits thereto to the Commissioner<\/span> and to the agency that placed the child<\/span>. In cases where the child<\/span> was placed by an agency in another state, or by an agency, court<\/span>, or other entity in another country, the petition<\/span> and all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director<\/span> or licensed child<\/span>-placing agency<\/span>, whichever agency completed the home study or provided supervision. If no Virginia agency provided such services, or such agency is no longer licensed or has gone out of business, the petition<\/span> and all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director<\/span> of the locality where the petitioners reside or resided at the time of filing the petition<\/span> or had legal residence at the time of the filing of the petition<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFORWARDING OF PETITION (\u00a7 63.2-1228)\n\nUpon the filing of the petition, the circuit court shall, upon being satisfied\nas to proper jurisdiction and venue, immediately enter an interlocutory order or\nan order referring the case to a child-placing agency to conduct an\ninvestigation and prepare a report pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208. Upon entry of the\ninterlocutory order or the order of reference, the court shall forward a copy of\nthe petition and all exhibits thereto to the Commissioner and to the agency that\nplaced the child. In cases where the child was placed by an agency in another\nstate, or by an agency, court, or other entity in another country, the petition\nand all exhibits shall be forwarded to the local director or licensed\nchild-placing agency, whichever agency completed the home study or provided\nsupervision. If no Virginia agency provided such services, or such agency is no\nlonger licensed or has gone out of business, the petition and all exhibits shall\nbe forwarded to the local director of the locality where the petitioners reside\nor resided at the time of filing the petition or had legal residence at the time\nof the filing of the petition.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 63-349; 1954, c. 489; 1956, c. 489; 1956, c. 187; 1962,\nc. 603; 1964, c. 429; 1968, cc. 346, 578, \u00a7 63.1-223; 1974, cc. 26, 493, 507;\n1975, c. 364; 1978, c. 730; 1980, c. 740; 1982, c. 115; 1988, cc. 579, 599, 882;\n1989, c. 647; 1992, c. 607; 1993, c. 553; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7\n63.1-219.35; 2002, c. 747; 2006, cc. 825, 848; 2022, c. 377.","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}}