Section 7 AAC 44.900 - DefinitionsIn this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise,
(1) "adult" means an individual 18 years of age or older;(2) "Alaska poverty level" means the level set out in the federal poverty guidelines for Alaska established annually by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in 82 Fed. Reg. 8831 - 8832 (January 31, 2017), as amended from time to time, and adopted by reference;(3) "applicant" means an individual who has submitted to the department an identifiable application for heating assistance for the individual's household and who represents the household;(4) "completed application" means an application, on a form authorized by the department, that contains the applicant's name, mailing and physical address, and signature or witnessed mark, as well as the information requested by the department to determine eligibility;(5) "department" means the Department of Health and Social Services;(6) "dwelling" means the physical structure that the household has identified on the heating assistance application as the sole physical structure for which heating assistance is requested;(7) "emancipated minor" means an individual under 18 years of age who has been declared emancipated by the superior court of this state under AS 09.55.590, or by a court of another jurisdiction under procedures granting the individual the equivalent status;(8) "fee agent" means a department-paid volunteer who is authorized by the department to assist applicants in completing applications and related forms;(9) "heating assistance" means financial assistance awarded under this chapter;(10) "heating assistance season" means the annual period that begins September 1 and runs through April 30 of the following year during which applications for heating assistance are accepted by the department;(11) "home heating costs" means an amount that the household pays for its own home heating needs either directly, or indirectly through rent;(12) "household" means an individual or a group of individuals who are living together as one economic unit and for whom residential heating is customarily purchased in common, or who make undesignated payments for heat in the form of rent;(13) "identifiable application" means a written request for heating assistance under 7 AAC 44.010 - 7 AAC 44.090 or 7 AAC 44.200 - 7 AAC 44.350 that is submitted by an individual who the department is able to clearly identify;(14) "irregular work schedules" means (A) jobs with rotating schedules, fluctuating payroll schedules, or seasonal layoffs; or(B) other careers where income is not consistent on a monthly basis;(15) "mobile home" means a manufactured home or large house trailer designed for year-round living in one place;(16) "recreational vehicle" means a motor vehicle or trailer, such as a motor home, that is designed to be used for travel and equipped with living space and amenities found in a home, such as a bathroom, kitchen, and beds;(17) "seasonal employment" means employment with a regular work season of 11 months or less that is compensated on a salary basis;(18) "self-employed occupations" means occupations in which an individual receives income from the production or sale of goods or services as determined under 7 AAC 45.445;(19) "shelter costs" means the total for the household of (A) the regular monthly rent or mortgage obligation for the shelter that the household occupies;(B) the cost of 30 days of heating fuel or the amount of the natural gas utility bill; and(C) the amount of the electric bill;(20) "state business day" means a day other than Saturday, Sunday, or a state holiday;(21) "subsidized housing" means housing subsidized by a government, housing authority, or non-profit entity, in which tenants pay only a set portion of their adjusted monthly income for rent or home heat;(22) "United States citizen" means a citizen of one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or a United States national, including a national from American Samoa or Swain's Island;(23) "vendor" means an individual, business, or private or public agency that sells home heating-related energy;(24) "verification" means documentation or third-party information that establishes the accuracy of statements on the application.Eff. 1/24/80, Register 73; am 12/23/80, Register 77; am 5/21/81, Register 78; am 11/1/89, Register 112; am 12/12/94, Register 132; am 10/1/99, Register 151; am 8/12/2008, Register 187; am 11/22/2008, Register 188; am 11/5/2011, Register 200; am 2/20/2014, Register 209; am 12/27/2017,Register 224, January 2018A copy of the federal poverty guidelines for Alaska that are adopted by reference in 7 AAC 44.900 may be requested from the Division of Public Assistance, Office of the Director, Department of Health and Social Services, 350 Main Street, Suite 304, Juneau, Alaska, 99801. The Federal Register with the amended version may be obtained through the nearest public library. If the Federal Register is not available at that library site, the material can be obtained by that library through the interlibrary loan system. It may also be obtained at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys.
Authority:AS 47.05.010
AS 47.25.622