The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter,
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
(1) Application--The form ODHHS uses to gather and
document information about a person to determine eligibility when
applying for assistance under STAP.
(2) Approved Equipment or Service--The equipment or
service approved by ODHHS for reimbursement under STAP.
(3) Basic Specialized Telecommunications Equipment--A
basic device, or basic devices that work together as one device, determined
by ODHHS to be necessary to provide effective access to the telephone
network for a person whose disabilities impair the person's ability
to access the telephone network.
(4) Basic Specialized Telecommunications Service--A
service, or services that work together as one service, determined
by ODHHS to be necessary to provide effective access to the telephone
network for a person whose disabilities impair the person's ability
to access the telephone network.
(5) Claimed Voucher--To claim a voucher, vendors are
to provide voucher exchange information in the ODHHS STAP online claiming
system. A vendor must be registered with STAP to receive access to
the claiming system.
(6) Entity--Any individual owner, partner, company,
or other business organization.
(7) Equipment Value--A monetary value established by
ODHHS for allowable specialized telecommunications equipment or service,
identified by make and model or service.
(8) Financial Assistance--A type of assistance provided
based on the monetary value established by a voucher for basic, specialized
telecommunications equipment or service, where the value may not cover
the full price of the equipment or service.
(9) Financial Independence--An instance in which two
or more otherwise eligible persons reside in the same household but
are not dependent upon one another for financial support.
(10) Functionally Equivalent Network Access--Access
to the telephone network that provides communication access for a
person with a disability, which is comparable to that of persons without
a disability.
(11) HHSC--Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
(12) Legal Guardian--A person appointed by a court
of competent jurisdiction to exercise the legal powers of another
person.
(13) ODHHS--The HHSC Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Services.
(14) PUC--The Public Utility Commission of Texas.
(15) Resident--A person who resides in Texas as evidenced
by one of the following unexpired documents:
(A) Texas driver's license;
(B) ID card issued by a governmental entity with address;
(C) utility bill with address;
(D) voter registration card;
(E) vehicle registration receipt;
(F) official letter from a residential facility signed
by the director or supervisor; or
(G) other document approved by ODHHS.
(16) Signature Authority--A person who represents a
vendor and is authorized to sign and exchange vouchers on behalf of
the vendor.
(17) STAP--The Specialized Telecommunications Assistance
Program.
(18) STAP Vendor--An entity that sells basic specialized
telecommunications equipment or services, as defined under STAP, and
is registered with and approved by ODHHS. A STAP vendor includes any
individual owners, partners, companies, or other entities with an
ownership interest in the STAP vendor.
(19) TUSF--The Texas Universal Service Fund.
(20) Voucher--A financial assistance document issued
by ODHHS to eligible applicants that is used to purchase a specified
type of basic specialized telecommunications equipment or service
from a STAP vendor.
(21) Voucher Category--A specific class of basic specialized
telecommunications equipment or services that provides the same or
similar type of telephone network access.
(22) Voucher Category Value--For a specific voucher
category, ODHHS will determine a reasonable price, which is the maximum
reimbursement amount for any basic specialized telecommunications
equipment or service within that voucher category.
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