42 USC § 668 - Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s668"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 668 - Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "668"
section_name: "Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases"
chapter_number: 7
chapter_name: "SOCIAL SECURITY"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID AND SERVICES TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND FOR CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES"
part_number: "D"
part_name: "Child Support and Establishment of Paternity"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 468, as added Pub. L. 100–485, title I, § 111(d), Oct. 13, 1988, 102 Stat. 2350; amended Pub. L. 104–193, title III, § 331(c), Aug. 22, 1996, 110 Stat. 2230.)"
---


# § 668. Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases

In the administration of the child support enforcement program under this part, each State is encouraged to establish and implement a civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases.

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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 468, as added Pub. L. 100–485, title I, § 111(d), Oct. 13, 1988, 102 Stat. 2350; amended Pub. L. 104–193, title III, § 331(c), Aug. 22, 1996, 110 Stat. 2230.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996— struck out “a simple civil process for voluntarily acknowledging paternity and” after “implement”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by , see section 395(a)–(c) of , set out as a note under .