SEC. 15A-1. DEFINITIONS.

   The terms used in this article have the meanings ascribed to them in Chapter 251, Texas Election Code, as amended, or as defined in this section.

      (1)   CITY-FUNDED OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNT means, for the purposes of this chapter, an individual attributable Mayor/Council account that is funded from the city budget and intended for use by a city council member to cover the expenses of holding office.

      (2)   CONTRIBUTION means:

         (A)   a direct or indirect transfer of money, goods, services, or any other thing of value and includes an agreement made or other obligation incurred, whether legally enforceable or not, to make a transfer. The term includes a loan or extension of credit, other than those expressly excluded by this subdivision, and a guarantee of a loan or extension of credit, including a loan described by this subdivision; or

         (B)   an expenditure made to advocate or influence the election of a candidate and that is made in cooperation, consultation, or in concert with the candidate's campaign. The following is considered a contribution within the meaning of this subparagraph:

            (i)   the expenditure is made at the request or suggestion of the candidate's campaign;

            (ii)   the individual or political committee suggests the expenditure and the candidate's campaign assents to the suggestion;

            (iii)   the individual or political committee making the expenditure communicates with the candidate's campaign before making the expenditure;

            (iv)   the candidate's campaign has solicited funds for or directed funds to the individual or political committee making the expenditure, but only if the expenditure or direction occurred in the 12 months before the election that the expenditure seeks to influence; or

            (v)   the individual or political committee making the expenditure uses information from the candidate's campaign to design, prepare, or pay for the expenditure unless that same information is available to the general public.

         (C)   The term does not include:

            (i)   a loan made in the due course of business by a corporation that is legally engaged in the business of lending money and that has conducted the business continuously for more than one year before the loan is made; or

            (ii)   an expenditure required to be reported under Section 305.006(b), Government Code, as amended. (Ord. Nos. 15434; 16718; 21035; 22925; 30391; 30715)