{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1914.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1914.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1914.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1914.html"}],"law_id":79014,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79014,"structure_id":15559,"section_number":"63.2-1914","catch_line":"Hospital paternity establishment programs","history":"1994, c. 718, \u00a7 20-49.9; 1997, cc. 792, 896; 2002, c. 747.","full_text":"Each public and private birthing hospital in the Commonwealth shall provide unwed parents the opportunity to legally establish the paternity of a child prior to the child’s discharge from the hospital following birth, by means of a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity signed by the mother and the father, under oath.\n\t\tBirthing hospitals are defined as hospitals with licensed obstetric-care units, hospitals licensed to provide obstetric services, or licensed birthing centers associated with a hospital. Birthing centers are facilities outside hospitals that provide maternity services.\n\t\tDesignated staff members of such hospitals shall provide to both the mother and the alleged father, if he is present at the hospital, (i) written materials regarding paternity establishment, (ii) the forms necessary to voluntarily acknowledge paternity, (iii) a written and oral description of the rights and responsibilities of acknowledging paternity, and (iv) the opportunity, prior to the child’s discharge from the hospital, to speak with staff who are trained to provide information and answer questions about paternity establishment. The provision by designated hospital staff members of the information required by this section, consistent with federal regulations, shall not constitute the unauthorized practice of law pursuant to Chapter 39 (\u00a7 54.1-3900 et seq.) of Title 54.1.\n\t\tHospitals shall send the original acknowledgment of paternity containing the social security numbers, if available, of both parents, with the information required by Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-257 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 32.1, to the State Registrar of Vital Records so that the birth certificate issued includes the name of the legal father of the child.\n\t\tThe Department shall (a) provide to birthing hospitals all necessary materials and forms, and a written description of the rights and responsibilities related to voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (b) provide the necessary training, guidance and written instructions regarding voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (c) annually assess each birthing hospital’s paternity establishment program; (d) pay to each hospital an amount determined by regulation of the Board for each acknowledgment of paternity signed under oath by both parents; and (e) determine if a voluntary acknowledgment has been filed with the State Registrar of Vital Records in cases applying for paternity establishment services.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":283017,"text":"Each public and private birthing hospital in the Commonwealth shall provide unwed parents the opportunity to legally establish the paternity of a child prior to the child’s discharge from the hospital following birth, by means of a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity signed by the mother and the father, under oath.\n\t\tBirthing hospitals are defined as hospitals with licensed obstetric-care units, hospitals licensed to provide obstetric services, or licensed birthing centers associated with a hospital. Birthing centers are facilities outside hospitals that provide maternity services.\n\t\tDesignated staff members of such hospitals shall provide to both the mother and the alleged father, if he is present at the hospital, (i) written materials regarding paternity establishment, (ii) the forms necessary to voluntarily acknowledge paternity, (iii) a written and oral description of the rights and responsibilities of acknowledging paternity, and (iv) the opportunity, prior to the child’s discharge from the hospital, to speak with staff who are trained to provide information and answer questions about paternity establishment. The provision by designated hospital staff members of the information required by this section, consistent with federal regulations, shall not constitute the unauthorized practice of law pursuant to Chapter 39 (\u00a7 54.1-3900 et seq.) of Title 54.1.\n\t\tHospitals shall send the original acknowledgment of paternity containing the social security numbers, if available, of both parents, with the information required by Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-257 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 32.1, to the State Registrar of Vital Records so that the birth certificate issued includes the name of the legal father of the child.\n\t\tThe Department shall (a) provide to birthing hospitals all necessary materials and forms, and a written description of the rights and responsibilities related to voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (b) provide the necessary training, guidance and written instructions regarding voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (c) annually assess each birthing hospital’s paternity establishment program; (d) pay to each hospital an amount determined by regulation of the Board for each acknowledgment of paternity signed under oath by both parents; and (e) determine if a voluntary acknowledgment has been filed with the State Registrar of Vital Records in cases applying for paternity establishment services.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15559,"edition_id":1,"name":"Paternity","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12835,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:20","permalink":{"id":272541,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15559,"identifier":"3","token":"63.2\/V\/19\/3","url":"\/63.2\/V\/19\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12835,"edition_id":1,"name":"Child Support Enforcement","identifier":"19","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12834,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":272433,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12835,"identifier":"19","token":"63.2\/V\/19","url":"\/63.2\/V\/19\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12834,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administrative Child Support","identifier":"V","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12789,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":272431,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12834,"identifier":"V","token":"63.2\/V","url":"\/63.2\/V\/","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":59354,"structure_id":15559,"section_number":"63.2-1913","catch_line":"Administrative establishment of paternity","url":"\/63.2-1913\/","token":"63.2\/V\/19\/3\/63.2-1913","metadata":false},{"id":79014,"structure_id":15559,"section_number":"63.2-1914","catch_line":"Hospital paternity establishment programs","url":"\/63.2-1914\/","token":"63.2\/V\/19\/3\/63.2-1914","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":59354,"structure_id":15559,"section_number":"63.2-1913","catch_line":"Administrative establishment of paternity","url":"\/63.2-1913\/","token":"63.2\/V\/19\/3\/63.2-1913","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1914\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1994. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 718<\/a> 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. 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, chapters 792<\/a> and 896<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":70187,"section_number":"32.1-134.03","catch_line":"Maternal health; protocols and resources for hospitals and outpatient providers; report","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-134.03\/"}],"refers_to":[{"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":73725,"section_number":"54.1-3900","catch_line":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3900\/"}],"permalink":{"id":272547,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79014,"identifier":"63.2-1914","token":"63.2\/V\/19\/3\/63.2-1914","url":"\/63.2-1914\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1914\/","token":"63.2\/V\/19\/3\/63.2-1914","dublin_core":{"Title":"Hospital paternity establishment programs","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1914","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Each public and private birthing hospital in the Commonwealth shall provide unwed parents the opportunity to legally establish the paternity of a child<\/span> prior to the child<\/span>’s discharge from the hospital following birth, by means of a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity signed by the mother and the father, under oath<\/span>.\n\t\tBirthing hospitals are defined as hospitals with licensed obstetric-care units, hospitals licensed to provide obstetric services, or licensed birthing centers associated with a hospital. Birthing centers are facilities outside hospitals that provide maternity services.\n\t\tDesignated staff members of such hospitals shall provide to both the mother and the alleged father, if he is present at the hospital, (i) written materials<\/span> regarding paternity establishment, (ii) the forms necessary to voluntarily acknowledge paternity, (iii) a written and oral description of the rights and responsibilities of acknowledging paternity, and (iv) the opportunity, prior to the child<\/span>’s discharge from the hospital, to speak with staff who are trained to provide information and answer questions about paternity establishment. The provision by designated hospital staff members of the information required by this section, consistent with federal regulations, shall not constitute the unauthorized practice of law<\/span> pursuant to Chapter 39 (\u00a7 54.1-3900<\/a> et seq.) of Title 54.1.\n\t\tHospitals shall send the original acknowledgment of paternity containing the social security numbers, if available, of both parents, with the information required by Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-257<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 32.1, to the State Registrar of Vital Records so that the birth certificate issued includes the name of the legal father of the child<\/span>.\n\t\tThe Department<\/span> shall (a) provide to birthing hospitals all necessary materials<\/span> and forms, and a written description of the rights and responsibilities related to voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (b) provide the necessary training, guidance and written instructions regarding voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (c) annually assess each birthing hospital’s paternity establishment program; (d) pay to each hospital an amount determined by regulation of the Board<\/span> for each acknowledgment of paternity signed under oath<\/span> by both parents; and (e) determine if a voluntary acknowledgment has been filed with the State Registrar of Vital Records in cases applying for paternity establishment services.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nHOSPITAL PATERNITY ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAMS (\u00a7 63.2-1914)\n\nEach public and private birthing hospital in the Commonwealth shall provide\nunwed parents the opportunity to legally establish the paternity of a child\nprior to the child’s discharge from the hospital following birth, by means\nof a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity signed by the mother and the father,\nunder oath.\n\t\tBirthing hospitals are defined as hospitals with licensed obstetric-care\nunits, hospitals licensed to provide obstetric services, or licensed birthing\ncenters associated with a hospital. Birthing centers are facilities outside\nhospitals that provide maternity services.\n\t\tDesignated staff members of such hospitals shall provide to both the mother\nand the alleged father, if he is present at the hospital, (i) written materials\nregarding paternity establishment, (ii) the forms necessary to voluntarily\nacknowledge paternity, (iii) a written and oral description of the rights and\nresponsibilities of acknowledging paternity, and (iv) the opportunity, prior to\nthe child’s discharge from the hospital, to speak with staff who are\ntrained to provide information and answer questions about paternity\nestablishment. The provision by designated hospital staff members of the\ninformation required by this section, consistent with federal regulations, shall\nnot constitute the unauthorized practice of law pursuant to Chapter 39 (\u00a7\n54.1-3900 et seq.) of Title 54.1.\n\t\tHospitals shall send the original acknowledgment of paternity containing the\nsocial security numbers, if available, of both parents, with the information\nrequired by Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-257 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 32.1, to the\nState Registrar of Vital Records so that the birth certificate issued includes\nthe name of the legal father of the child.\n\t\tThe Department shall (a) provide to birthing hospitals all necessary materials\nand forms, and a written description of the rights and responsibilities related\nto voluntary acknowledgment of paternity; (b) provide the necessary training,\nguidance and written instructions regarding voluntary acknowledgment of\npaternity; (c) annually assess each birthing hospital’s paternity\nestablishment program; (d) pay to each hospital an amount determined by\nregulation of the Board for each acknowledgment of paternity signed under oath\nby both parents; and (e) determine if a voluntary acknowledgment has been filed\nwith the State Registrar of Vital Records in cases applying for paternity\nestablishment services.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 718, \u00a7 20-49.9; 1997, cc. 792, 896; 2002, c. 747.","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}}