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(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;