501.15 DEFINITIONS.
   As used in this chapter:
   (a)   "Public official" means any elected or appointed officer, or employee, or agent of the State or any political subdivision thereof, whether in a temporary or permanent capacity, and includes, but is not limited to, legislators, judges and law enforcement officers. “Public official” does not include an employee, officer, or governor-appointed member of the board of directors of the nonprofit corporation formed under Ohio R.C. 187.01.
   (b)   "Public servant" means any of the following:
      (1)   Any public official;
      (2)   Any person performing ad hoc a governmental function, including, but not limited to, a juror, member of a temporary commission, master, arbitrator, advisor or consultant;
      (3)   A person who is a candidate for public office, whether or not the person is elected or appointed to the office for which the person is a candidate. A person is a candidate for purposes of this subsection if the person has been nominated according to law for election or appointment to public office, or if the person has filed a petition or petitions as required by law to have the person’s name placed on the ballot in a primary, general or special election, or if the person campaigns as a write-in candidate in any primary, general or special election. “Public servant” does not include an employee, officer, or governor-appointed member of the board of directors of the nonprofit corporation formed under Ohio R.C. 187.01.
   (c)   "Party official" means any person who holds an elective or appointive post in a political party in the United States or this State, by virtue of which the person directs, conducts or participates in directing or conducting party affairs at any level of responsibility.
   (d)   "Official proceeding" means any proceeding before a legislative, judicial, administrative or other governmental agency or official authorized to take evidence under oath, and includes any proceeding before a referee, hearing examiner, commissioner, notary or other person taking testimony or a deposition in connection with an official proceeding.
   (e)   "Detention" means arrest, confinement in any vehicle subsequent to an arrest, confinement in any public or private facility for custody of persons charged with or convicted of a crime in this State or another state or under the laws of the United States or alleged or found to be a delinquent child or unruly child in this State or another state or under the laws of the United States; hospitalization, institutionalization or confinement in any public or private facility that is ordered pursuant to or under the authority of Ohio R.C. 2945.37, 2945.371, 2945.38, 2945.39 or 2945.40, 2945.401 or 2945.402; confinement in any vehicle for transportation to or from any facility of any of those natures; detention for extradition or deportation, except as provided in this subsection, supervision by any employee of any facility of any of those natures; that is incidental to hospitalization, institutionalization or confinement in the facility but that occurs outside the facility; supervision by an employee of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction of a person on any type of release from a State correctional institution; or confinement in any vehicle, airplane, or place while being returned from outside of this State into this State by a private person or entity pursuant to a contract entered into under Ohio R.C. 311.29(E) or Ohio R.C. 5149.03(B). For a person confined in a county jail who participates in a county jail industry program pursuant to Ohio R.C. 5147.30, "detention" includes time spent at an assigned work site and going to and from the work site.
   (f)   "Detention facility" means any place used for the confinement of a person charged with or convicted of any crime or alleged or found to be a delinquent child or unruly child.
   (g)   "Valuable thing or valuable benefit" includes, but is not limited to, a contribution. This inclusion does not indicate or imply that a contribution was not included in those terms before September 17, 1986.
   (h)   "Campaign committee," "contribution," "political action committee," “legislative campaign fund”, "political party" and “political contributing entity” have the same meanings as in Ohio R.C. 3517.01.
   (i)   "Provider agreement" has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 5164.01.
      (ORC 2921.01)