CHAPTER 139

An Act to amend and reenact § 68-848.1, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia, relating to adoptions. (Ht 825}

Approved March 2, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 63-348.1, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended
and reenacted as follows:

§ 63-348.1. A petition may be filed by any natural person, resident
of this State, for the adoption of a stepchild twenty-one years of age or
over to whom he has stood in loco parentis for a period of at least one
year, or for the adoption of a niece or nephew over twenty-one years of
age who has no living parents and who has lived in the home of the
petitioner for at least one year, or for the adoption of any person twenty-
one years of age or over who resided in the home of the petitioner for a
period of at least five years prior to becoming twenty-one years of age.
Proceedings in any such case shall conform as near as may be to pro-
ceedings for the adoption of a minor child under this chapter except that:

(1) No consent of either parent shall be required;

wc The consent of the person to be adopted shall be required in all

“(3) The investigations and visitations provided for in §§ 63-349 and
63-354 shall not be made unless the court in its discretion so requires.

Any interlocutory or final order issued in any case under this section
shall have the same effect as other orders issued under this chapter; and
in any such case the word “child” in any other section of this chapter shall
he construed to refer to the person whose adoption is petitioned for under

is section.