(a) An applicant must be certified as a person with a disability that impairs the person's ability to effectively access the telephone network. The following may serve as certifiers:
  (1) licensed hearing aid specialists;
  (2) licensed audiologists;
  (3) licensed optometrists;
  (4) licensed physicians;
  (5) licensed advanced practice registered nurses;
  (6) Texas Workforce Commission vocational rehabilitation counselors;
  (7) state-certified teachers of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing;
  (8) licensed speech pathologists;
  (9) state-certified teachers of persons who are visually impaired;
  (10) state-certified teachers of persons who are speech-impaired;
  (11) state-certified special education teachers;
  (12) STAP specialists authorized to work under an ODHHS STAP Outreach and Training contract;
  (13) licensed social workers;
  (14) Independent Living Services specialists, such as rehabilitation counselors, authorized to work under an HHSC Independent Living Services contract;
  (15) ODHHS-approved specialists working in a disability-related field; or
  (16) any other professional approved by ODHHS.
(b) An application must be properly certified before ODHHS can process and approve the application and issue the voucher.
(c) Certifiers who have misrepresented an applicant's disability, certified an applicant without a disability, violated or who are under pending review of investigation for alleged violations of any HHSC, PUC, or other rules, policies, or laws relating to STAP may no longer be authorized to certify applications. Persons committing or suspected of committing such violations may be referred to PUC, to the certifier's licensing agency, or to both, as appropriate.

Source Note: The provisions of this §360.513 adopted to be effective March 30, 2021, 46 TexReg 2024