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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72103</law_id><section_number>20-163</section_number><catch_line>Miscellaneous provisions related to all surrogacy contracts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-162</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="20">Domestic Relations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="9">Status of Children of Assisted Conception</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> shall be solely responsible for the clinical management of the pregnancy. <a id="paragraph-259814" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-163/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> After the entry of an <span class="dictionary">order</span> under subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders" href="/20-160/">20-160</a> or upon the execution of a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contracts not approved by the court; requirements" href="/20-162/">20-162</a>, the marriage of the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> shall not affect the validity of the <span class="dictionary">order</span> or <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, and her spouse shall not be deemed a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> in the absence of his explicit written consent. <a id="paragraph-259815" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-163/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Following the entry of an <span class="dictionary">order</span> pursuant to subsection D of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders" href="/20-160/">20-160</a> or upon the relinquishing of the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of and parental rights to any resulting child and the filing of the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> consent and report form as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contracts not approved by the court; requirements" href="/20-162/">20-162</a>, the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span> shall have the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of, parental rights to, and full responsibilities for any child resulting from the performance of <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span> from a surrogacy agreement regardless of the child&#x2019;s health, physical <span class="dictionary">appearance</span>, any mental or physical disability, and regardless of whether the child is born alive. <a id="paragraph-259816" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-163/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> A child born to a <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> within 300 days after <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span> pursuant to an <span class="dictionary">order</span> under subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders" href="/20-160/">20-160</a> or a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contracts not approved by the court; requirements" href="/20-162/">20-162</a> is presumed to result from the <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span>. This <span class="dictionary">presumption</span> is conclusive as to all persons who fail to file an action to test its validity within two years after the birth of the child. The child and the parties to the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall be named as parties in any such action. The action shall be filed in the <span class="dictionary">court</span> that issued or could have issued an <span class="dictionary">order</span> under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders" href="/20-160/">20-160</a>. <a id="paragraph-259817" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-163/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Health care providers shall not be liable for recognizing the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> as the mother of the resulting child before receipt of a copy of an <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders" href="/20-160/">20-160</a> or a copy of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, or for recognizing the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span> as the parent of the resulting child after receipt of such <span class="dictionary">order</span> or copy of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span>. <a id="paragraph-259818" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-163/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">contract</span> provision requiring or prohibiting an abortion or selective reduction is against the public policy of the Commonwealth and is void and unenforceable. <a id="paragraph-259819" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-163/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1991, c. 600; 2019, c. 375; 2022, c. 800; 2023, cc. 148, 149.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
