---
type: "LegalText"
title: "42 U.S.C. § 668"
description: "Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
chapter_number: "7"
chapter_name: "SOCIAL SECURITY"
section: "668"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 668"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s668"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml"
source_hash: "82c4436c591e1d7af7269e9702c37e1b376465e1165e60b72b220eb9277accfc"
raw_snapshot_hash: "644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e"
text_hash: "c1b9af3d713bbba2ca0a1e3ad318e3a2ae64f529e6c502f0ce29b320a40c82c7"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 42 U.S.C. § 668 - Encouragement of States to adopt civil procedure for establishing paternity in contested cases

## Text

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.

(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.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1996—Pub. L. 104–193 struck out “a simple civil process for voluntarily acknowledging paternity and” after “implement”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1996 AmendmentFor effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 104–193, see section 395(a)–(c) of Pub. L. 104–193, set out as a note under section 654 of this title.