As Amended
SEC. 43-41-3. Definitions.
The following words wherever used in this article shall, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context, have the following meanings:
(a) "Necessary expense" means the cost of an item or service essential to an individual or family to mitigate or overcome an adverse condition caused by a major disaster.
(b) "Serious need" means a requirement for an item or service essential to an individual or family to prevent or reduce hardship, injury or loss caused by a major disaster.
(c) "Family" means a social unit comprised of husband and wife and dependents, if any, or a head of a household, as these terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
(d) "Individual" means a person who is not a member of a family as defined in subparagraph (c) above.
(e) "Assistance from other means" means aid, including monetary or in-kind contributions from other governmental programs, insurance, voluntary or charitable organizations or from any sources other than those of the individual or family.
(f) "Federal regulations" means those regulations published in the Federal Register relating to the specific subject.
(g) "Emergency" means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.
(h) "Federal assistance" means aid to disaster victims or state and local governments by federal agencies under the provisions of the Federal Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
(i) "Major disaster" means any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosion or other man-made, technological or natural disaster or catastrophe in the State of Mississippi which, in the determination of the President, causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under the Federal Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act above and beyond emergency services of the federal government to supplement the efforts and available resources of the state, local governments and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship or suffering caused thereby.
(j) "Regional director" means a director of a regional office of the federal emergency management agency.
(k) "State coordinating officer" means the person appointed by the Governor to act in cooperation with the federal coordinating officer appointed under Section 303(c) of the Federal Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
(l) "Temporary housing" means mobile home accommodations or rental of existing housing provided by the federal or state government either individually or jointly to individuals or families made homeless by emergency or major disaster.
(m) "Voluntary organization" means any chartered or otherwise duly recognized tax-exempt local, state or nationally organized group which has provided or may provide services to states, local governments or individuals in a major disaster or emergency.
(n) "State of emergency" means that a state of emergency has been declared to exist as a result of a man-made, technological or natural disaster and the local government has exhausted local resources and requires state assistance.
SOURCES: Laws, 1978, ch. 331, Sec. 2; 1980, ch. 491, Sec. 27; 1989, ch. 474, Sec. 1, eff from and after July 1, 1989.