Sec. 81.001. DEFINITIONS

In this chapter:

(1) "Commission" means the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

(2) "Deaf" means a hearing impairment of such severity that an individual must depend on visual methods to communicate.

(3) "Hard of hearing" means a hearing impairment that results in a loss of hearing function to an individual and in which the individual:

(A) relies on residual hearing; and

(B) may depend on visual methods to communicate.

(4) "Deaf-blind" means:

(A) being legally blind and possessing a hearing impairment of such severity that a person cannot understand most speech even with the use of optimum amplification; or

(B) having a medical diagnosis of deteriorating hearing and vision expected to lead to the condition described by Paragraph (A).

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2394, ch. 842, art. 1, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1979. Amended by Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2431, ch. 842, art. 2, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1979; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 343, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 183, Sec. 1, eff. May 26, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 353, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 835, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 118, Sec. 1, eff. May 23, 2003.