T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2).

T he H onor abl e L y l e E . S tr om , S e ni orU . S . D i s tr i c tJ udge f orthe ** * D i s tr i c tof

N e br a s ka , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on.

NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T J. M . H -B . , a m i no r, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. M I CHAEL J . ASTR UE, D ef

endant- A pp el l ee . N o. 09- 55688 D. C. No . 2 : 0 7 - c v - 0 1 7 6 4 - PL A ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia P aul L . A br a m s , M a gi s tr a t e J udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d O c t obe r5, 2010 ** P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B ef ore: F IS H E R and B Y B E E , C i rc ui tJudg es , and S T R O M , D i stri ctJudg e. *** P l a i nt i f f - A ppe l l a ntJ . M . H - B . appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de c i s i on a f f i rm i ng the S oci al S ec uri ty C om m i ss i on er ’ s ( “ the C om m i ss i on er ”) deni al of her 

# FI LED NO V 02 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

ap p lic a tio n s f

o rs u rv iv in g c h ild ’s in s u r a n c e b e n e f its a n d alu m p - s u m d e a th pa y m e nt . A ppe l l a nta r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourte rr e d i n de f e rr i ng t o the A dm i ni s tr a t i ve L a w J udge ’ s ( “ A L J ” ) i nt e rpr e t a t i on of the r e l e va nts t a tut e s a nd r e g u la tio n s in d e n y in g h e rc la im , a n d th a t h e re q u a l p r o te c tio n r ig h ts w e r e v io la te d . B ec ause w e f

i nd thatthe S oci al S ec uri ty A dm i ni stra t i on (“ S S A ”) has notaddres se d th e r e g u la to ry la n g u a g e a t is s u e , w e v a c a te an d r e m a n d to th e S o c ia l S e c u r ity A dm i ni s tr a t i on f

oram or e a de qua t e e xpl a na t i on. U n d erth e S o cial S ec u rity A ct, a ch il d m ay q u alify f o r s u rv iv in g ch il d ’s i ns ur a nc e be ne f

i t s by e s t abl i s hi ng the i ns ur e d pa r e nt ’ s pa t e rni ty thr ough one of s e v e r a l m e th o d s . Ap p e l l a n ta r g u e s s h e q u a l i f i e s i f e i th e ro f th e f o l l o wi n g two m e th o d s is e m p lo y e d : ( 1 ) ap p ly in g th e s ta te la w o n d e v o lu tio n o f in te s ta te p r o p e rty o f

th e in s u r e d ’s d o m ic ile s ta te a t th e tim e o f d e a th , 4 2 U .S .C . § 416( h) ( 2) ( A ) , or( 2) es t abl i shi ng pat erni ty “ before the death o f s uch i nsured i nd i vi du al ” throu gh a w ri tt en ac kn ow l edgm entof pat erni ty by the i nsured, a c ou rt d e c r e e , o rac o u rt o r d e rto p a y s u p p o rt, 4 2 U .S .C . § 4 1 6 ( h ) ( 3 ) ( C ) ( i) . T he pl ai n t extof § 4 16 (h)( 3)(C )( i ) f orec l oses A pp el l ant ’ s c l ai m s on the l att er gr ound be c aus e i te xpl i c i t l y r e qui r e s tha tpa t e rni ty be e s t abl i s he d “ be f or e the d e a th ” o f th e in s u r e d p a r e n t. T h is m e a n s A p p e lla n t’s o n ly r o u te to b e n e f its is throu gh § 4 16 (h)( 2)(A ), w hi ch re qu i re s hert o sho w a par ent al re l at i on shi p exi st ed3

u n d e rth e r e le v a n t s ta te la w s , in th is c a s e , C a lif o rn iaP r o b a te C o d e § 6 4 5 3 ( b ) ( 1 ) . T hi s provi si on ac kn ow l edges pat erni ty i f acourtorder of pat erni ty w as ent er ed

“ dur i ng the f

a the r ’ s l i f

e t i m e . ” A ppe l l a nta r gue s tha tas e pa r a t e S S A r e gul a t i on added i n 1 99 8, 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 35 5(b)(2), el i m i nat es the st at e l aw re qu i re m entthat th e c o u rt o r d e ro f

p a te rn ity m u s t b e e n te r e d d u r in g th e f a th e r ’s lif

e tim e . T h is r e gul a t i on pr ovi de s tha tS S A “ w i l l notappl y a ny S t a t e i nhe r i t a nc e l a w r e qui r e m e nt th a ta n a c t i o n t o e s t ab l i s h p a t e rn i ty . . . b e t a k e n w i th i n as p e c i f i e d p e r i o d o f

t i me m e a s ur e d f

r om the w orke r ’ s de a th orthe c hi l d’ s bi rth, or. . . ha ve be e n s t a rt e d or com pl et ed before the w orker’ s dea th. ” 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 35 5(b)(2). W e w i l l de f

e rt o a n a ge nc y ’ s i nt e rpr e t a t i on of i t s ow n r e gul a t i on i f

i ti s not

“ pl ai nl y e rr on eous or i ncon si st entw i th the re gu l at i on . ” T ho m as Je f f er son U ni v. v. Sh a la la , 512 U . S . 504, 512 ( 1994) . H e r e , the C om m i s s i one ra r gue s tha ts e c t i on 6 4 5 3 ( b ) ( 1 ) ’s r e q u ir e m e n t th a t th e f a th e rs till b e a liv e w h e n p a te rn ity is d e c la r e d is una f f e c t e d by s e c t i on 404. 355( b) ( 2) be c aus e the l a tt e ronl y a f f e c t s the s t a tut e of l i m i t at i o n s. T h i s i s a reaso n ab l e i n t erp ret at i o n o f th e fi rstcl au se o f th e fi rst sen t en ce o f sect i o n 4 0 4 . 3 5 5 (b )(2 ). T h atp o rt i o n o f th e reg u l at i o n read s: W e w i l l notappl y a ny S t a t e i nhe r i t a nc e l a w r e qui r e m e nttha ta n a c t i on t o e s t abl i s h pa t e rni ty m us tbe t a ke n w i th i n a s p e c i f i e d p e r i o d o f t i me m e a s u r e d f

r o m th e w o rk e r 's d e a th o rth e c h ild 's b irth . . . .4

20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 35 5(b)(2) (e m ph as i s a dd ed). T he l angu age— “ w i thi n a spec i fi ed p e r io d o f tim e ”

— d ir e c tly a d d r e s s e s th e s ta tu te o f lim ita tio n s is s u e . T he C om m i s s i one r ’ s a r gum e nt , how e ve r , f a i l s t o a ddr e s s the s e c ond ha l f of th e fi rstsen t en ce o f sect i o n 4 0 4 . 3 5 5 (b )(2 ). T h atp o rt i o n o f th e reg u l at i o n read s: W e w i l l no tappl y any S t at e i nh er i t ance l aw re qu i re m ent. . . thatan ac t i on t o est abl i sh pat erni ty m usthave been st art ed or com pl et ed b e fo r e th e w o rke r 's de a th . 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 35 5(b)(2) (e m ph as i s a dd ed). O n i t s f ac e, thi s l angu age a dd re ss es a n i s s ue s e pa r a t e f

r om the s t a tut e of

l i m i t a t i ons i s s ue . F i r s t , thi s s e c ond port i on of the se nt ence , un l i ke the fi rs tpartof the se nt ence , do es no tcont ai n l angu age that cl earl y r ef

er s t o st atut es of l i m i t at i on s, such as “ w i thi n a spec i fi ed peri od of t i m e. ” S e c ond, r e a di ng thi s port i on of the s e nt e nc e a s r e f

e rr i ng t o s t a tut e s of

l i m i t a t i ons w oul d r e nde ri ts upe r f

l uous be c aus e the f

i r s tport i on of

the s e nt e nc e a l r e a dy addres se s the st atut e of l i m i t at i on s i ss ue di re ct l y. R ea di ng thi s l angu age a s a ddr e s s i ng onl y s t a t e s t a tut e s of l i m i t a t i ons i s the r e f

or e i nc ons i s t e ntw i th the l a ngua ge of

the r e gul a t i on. A l tho ug h the agency has no taddres se d the preci se l angu age i dent i fi ed abov e, w e hes i t at e t o i m po se a c on struct i on w i tho utgi vi ng the agency an opportuni ty t o c l a r i f

y i t s i nt e rpr e t a t i on. W e the r e f or e r e m a nd thi s c a s e ba c k t o the5

C om m i s s i one rt o gi ve the a ge nc y a n opportuni ty t o c l a r i f y i t s i nt e rpr e t a t i on of

20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 35 5(b)(2) i n l i gh tof the re gu l at ory l angu age i dent i fi ed abov e. B e c aus e w e r e m a nd t o the S oc i a l S e c ur i ty A dm i ni s tr a t i on f orc l a r i f i c a t i on of i t s i nt erpret at i on of 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 35 5(b)(2), w e do n otre ac h A pp el l ant ’ s e qu al p ro t ect i o n cl ai m s. A c c o r d in g ly , w e V A C A T E th e O r d e ro f th e d is tr ic t c o u rt a n d R E M A N D to the di stri ctcourtw i th i nstruct i on s t o rem and t o the C om m i ss i on erfor f urther pr oc e e di ngs c ons i s t e ntw i th thi s di s pos i t i on.