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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57273</law_id><section_number>20-165</section_number><catch_line>Surrogate brokers prohibited; penalty; liability of surrogate brokers</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-159</reference><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> It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or other entity to accept <span class="dictionary">compensation</span> for recruiting or procuring <span class="dictionary">surrogates</span> or to accept <span class="dictionary">compensation</span> for otherwise arranging or inducing an <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span> and <span class="dictionary">surrogates</span> to enter into <span class="dictionary">surrogacy contracts</span> in this Commonwealth. A violation of this section shall be punishable as a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-209797" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-165/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any person who acts as a <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> broker in violation of this section shall, in addition, be liable to all the parties to the purported <span class="dictionary">surrogacy contract</span> in a total amount equal to three times the amount of <span class="dictionary">compensation</span> to have been paid to the broker pursuant to the contract. One-half of the <span class="dictionary">damages</span> under this subsection shall be due the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> and her spouse, if any, and if such spouse is a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to the contract, and one-half shall be due the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span>.
			An action under this section shall be brought within five years of the date of the contract. <a id="paragraph-209798" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-165/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The provisions of this section shall not apply to the services of an attorney in giving legal advice or in preparing a <span class="dictionary">surrogacy contract</span>. <a id="paragraph-209799" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-165/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1991, c. 600; 2010, c. 712; 2019, c. 375; 2020, c. 900.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
