§ 1965.
(9)
The term “parent” means a father of a legitimate child, mother of a legitimate child, father through adoption, mother through adoption, mother of an illegitimate child, and father of an illegitimate child but only if (A) he acknowledged paternity of the child in writing signed by him before the child’s death; or (B) he has been judicially ordered to contribute to the child’s support; or (C) he has been judicially decreed to be the father of such child; or (D) proof of paternity is established by a certified copy of the public record of birth or church record of baptism showing that the claimant was the informant and was named as father of the child; or (E) proof of paternity is established from service department or other public records, such as school or welfare agencies, which show that with his knowledge the claimant was named as father of the child. No person who abandoned or willfully failed to support a child during the child’s minority, or consented to the child’s adoption may be recognized as a parent for the purpose of this subchapter. However, the immediately preceding sentence shall not be applied so as to require duplicate payments in any case in which insurance benefits have been paid prior to receipt in the administrative office established under sub
(Added [Pub. L. 89–214, § 1(a)], Sept. 29, 1965, [79 Stat. 880], § 765; amended [Pub. L. 91–291, § 1], June 25, 1970, [84 Stat. 326]; [Pub. L. 92–185, § 1], Dec. 15, 1971, [85 Stat. 642]; [Pub. L. 92–315], June 20, 1972, [86 Stat. 227]; [Pub. L. 93–289], §§ 3, 10(1), May 24, 1974, [88 Stat. 165], 172; [Pub. L. 99–576, title VII, § 701(35)], Oct. 28, 1986, [100 Stat. 3293]; [Pub. L. 102–54, § 14(b)(16)], June 13, 1991, [105 Stat. 284]; renumbered § 1965 and amended [Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a)], (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, [105 Stat. 406]; [Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title VI, § 651(a)], title XVI, § 1677(d)(1), Oct. 5, 1994, [108 Stat. 2792], 3020; [Pub. L. 104–275, title IV, § 402(a)], Oct. 9, 1996, [110 Stat. 3337]; [Pub. L. 106–419, title III, § 313(a)], Nov. 1, 2000, [114 Stat. 1854]; [Pub. L. 107–14, § 4(a)(1)], June 5, 2001, [115 Stat. 26]; [Pub. L. 109–13, div. A, title I, § 1032(a)(1)], May 11, 2005, [119 Stat. 257]; [Pub. L. 109–233, title V, § 501(c)(1)], June 15, 2006, [120 Stat. 415]; [Pub. L. 110–389, title IV, § 402(a)], Oct. 10, 2008, [122 Stat. 4174]; [Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1723(a)(2)], Dec. 22, 2023, [137 Stat. 674].)