(a) “Necessary expense” means the cost of an item or service essential to an individual, family or household to mitigate or overcome an adverse condition caused by an emergency or major disaster.

(b) “Serious need” means a requirement for an item or service essential to an individual, family or household to prevent or reduce hardship, injury or loss caused by an emergency or 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 paragraph (c).

(e) “Household” means a dwelling containing a single family or single family and other relatives not otherwise considered family as defined in paragraph (c).

(f) “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, family or household.

(g) “The Act” means the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93-288, as amended by PL 100-707 and PL 106-390).

(h) “Individuals and households program” means the federal assistance available to eligible individuals under a major disaster declaration by the president pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

(i) “Other Needs Assistance” means that component of the IHP program that provides a grant for individuals that requires the state share twenty-five percent (25%) of the total cost according to Section 408 of the Stafford Act (42 USCS 5174).

(j) “Federal regulations” means those regulations published in the Federal Register relating to the specific subject.

(k) “Emergency” means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the Governor or 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.

(l) “State of emergency” means that a state of emergency has been declared by the Governor pursuant to Section 33-15-11(b)(17) 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.

(m) “Federal assistance” means aid to disaster victims or state and local governments by federal agencies under the provisions of the Act.

(n) “Major disaster” means any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosions, acts of terrorism 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 and beyond emergency services of the state, local governments and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship or suffering caused thereby.

(o) “Director” means the Director of Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, appointed pursuant to Section 33-15-7.

(p) “Governor’s authorized representative” means the person appointed by the Governor to administer federal disaster assistance programs on behalf of the state and local governments and are responsible for the state compliance with the FEMA-State Agreement.

(q) “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 Act.

(r) “Temporary housing program” means rental of existing housing, apartments or commercial lodging provided by assistance from state government either individually or jointly to individuals, families or households made homeless by emergency or major disaster.

(s) “Voluntary organization” means any chartered or otherwise duly recognized tax-exempt local, state or national organized group that has provided or may provide services to states, local governments or individuals in a major disaster or emergency.