Charles Schwertner is a Republican member of the Texas State Senate who has represented District 5 since 2013 and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election. He chairs the Senate Business & Commerce Committee and previously served in the Texas House of Representatives.[1][2]
Schwertner represented District 20 in the Texas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and assumed office in the State Senate in 2013, according to Ballotpedia.[1]In 2023-2024 he chaired the Business & Commerce Committee and was also assigned to the Finance and Senate State Affairs committees, along with the Committee of the Whole Senate.[1]He advanced from the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.[1]Schwertner and his wife, Belinda, have three children.[1]
In a Ballotpedia survey, Schwertner said he authored Texas' 287(g) immigration enforcement law, which requires sheriffs to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that he passed laws on prayer and the Ten Commandments in classrooms and on DEI programs.[2]He said his priorities include continued property tax reductions and, as chairman of the Business & Commerce Committee, ensuring reliable and affordable electricity.[2]
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Republicans voted. How topics are assigned
›Rights & public safety432 with · 1 against433 votes
Bars cities, counties and other political subdivisions from spending public funds on registered lobbyists to lobby legislators, or on associations of local governments that hire them, with exceptions; residents can sue for injunctions and attorney's fees.
Gives the attorney general jurisdiction to prosecute Election Code crimes, requires law enforcement to send the attorney general any probable-cause report, and requires local prosecutors and law enforcement to provide investigation information the attorney general requests.
Jul 30, 2025 · Passed 17–12 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Bars common-law public nuisance lawsuits over conditions authorized by government permits or rules, conduct already covered by a statutory cause of action or agency enforcement, or the making, sale or marketing of products. Combining many private injuries does not create a public nuisance.
Apr 10, 2025 · Passed 17–12 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
On the version voted Apr 28, 2025: Applies to Congress to call an Article V convention limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit federal power and jurisdiction, and limit terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.
On the version voted Sep 2, 2025: Lowers from 3.5% to 2.5% the yearly growth in operating property tax revenue that cities and counties of 75,000 or more people, and certain other local taxing units, may adopt without voter approval, starting with 2026 taxes.
Aug 19, 2025 · Passed 18–12 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Lets teachers remove a student from class after a single disruptive incident, lifts the time limit on in-school suspensions, allows virtual alternative programs for expelled students, shields teachers from discipline for good-faith removals, and requires parental consent for school telehealth mental health services.
Apr 10, 2025 · Failed 11–19 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Bars the State Board of Education from adopting national sex education standards, bars human sexuality and sexually transmitted disease course materials from being based on them, and says school districts and charter schools cannot be required to offer them.
On the version voted Apr 9, 2025: Requires school districts, home-rule districts and charter schools, along with their boards and staff, to carry out and follow any policy that state law requires them to adopt, not just adopt it.
Bars manufacturing, distributing, mailing or providing abortion-inducing drugs in Texas, with exceptions such as medical emergencies. Allows private suits for death or injury and qui tam suits with at least $100,000 in damages per violation; lets the attorney general sue over criminal abortion-law violations.
Apr 30, 2025 · Passed 19–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Lets teachers remove a student from class after a single disruptive incident, lifts the time limit on in-school suspensions, allows virtual alternative programs for expelled students, shields teachers from discipline for good-faith removals, and requires parental consent for school telehealth mental health services.
Apr 10, 2025 · Failed 11–19 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Extends ERCOT generation reliability requirements and penalties to eligible plants regardless of when their interconnection agreement was signed. Exempts resources able to run 24 continuous hours, including with batteries, and directs the PUC to consider rebating penalties to consumers.
Bars cities, counties and other taxing units from entering tax abatement or exemption agreements covering property of renewable energy facilities that sell power at wholesale, effective January 1, 2026, applying only to agreements entered after that.
Apr 30, 2025 · Passed 19–12 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Bars utilities and others from connecting the state's main power grid to out-of-state facilities unless the connection would not add federal control over the grid and state regulators first find it in the public interest and later approve a certificate.
May 21, 2025 · Passed 20–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Bars cities and counties from regulating fields occupied by state laws on land use, structures, businesses and annexation, and voids such rules. Lets affected persons and the attorney general sue; the comptroller withholds sales tax revenue during the attorney general's suit.
Lets a person harmed by a city's violation of the state zoning chapter sue the city for mandamus, declaratory or injunctive relief, waives the city's immunity from suit, and allows court costs and attorney's fees for the prevailing party.
Requires historic designation impact statements to include repair costs and appraisals. In cities of 950,000 or more, bars historic designation without owner consent unless the city makes a compensation offer, with court-appointed commissioners assessing damages if the sides cannot agree.
Lets a social media user who wins a suit over censorship by a large platform recover attorney's fees and actual or statutory damages, raises the covered-platform threshold from 50 million to 65 million U.S. users, and excludes newsfeeds, a platform's own homepage and non-common-carrier services.
Requires electronic health records of Texans to be stored in the United States, gives parents full access to their minor children's records, requires records to note biological sex as observed at birth, and lets doctors use artificial intelligence if they review results and tell patients.
On the version voted May 28, 2025: Excludes satellite TV and internet video streaming services from the state's definition of "video service" under cable and video franchise law, which carries local right-of-way fees, while preserving existing franchise holders' payment duties and certain claims for service before September 1, 2025.
Limits how counties of four million or more people may spend toll road revenue, requiring surplus to go mainly to county roads divided among commissioners precincts and, through 2030, a share to the main city for emergency services, with civil penalties for violations.
Apr 29, 2025 · Failed 11–20 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Excuses the state environmental commission and Department of Public Safety from implementing vehicle emissions inspections once Congress repeals or amends the federal Clean Air Act to end the requirement, or a U.S. constitutional amendment gives states authority over vehicle emissions.
May 25, 2025 · Passed 21–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Requires entities proposing high-speed passenger rail (110 mph or more) to give the Department of Transportation yearly information on financing, finances, costs, schedule, ridership, route and foreign investment while the project is in the Texas Rail Plan; the department posts it online.
On the version voted May 9, 2025: Creates crimes for committing assault, stalking, harassment or similar offenses as an agent of a foreign government or terrorist group, with enhanced penalties, and for enforcing foreign law in Texas without approval; requires police training and a state study on transnational repression.
Apr 24, 2025 · Failed 11–20 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Recognizes the Gulf of America's importance to Texas and the U.S., affirms Texas' sovereignty over its 10-mile coastal zone, commends Trump Administration policies on energy, growth and state sovereignty, encourages federal-state collaboration, and opposes federal actions undermining Texas' control of coastal resources.
On the version voted May 23, 2025: Creates a Homeland Security Division in the Department of Public Safety to plan border security operations, run intelligence centers, manage the Operation Drawbridge camera program, and coordinate statewide homeland security planning and exercises with agencies and local governments.
Voted against most of their party on 4 of 583 party-divided votes on file.
Relating to disannexation of certain areas of a municipality for failure to provide services
What it does: On the version voted May 15, 2025: Lets a majority of property owners, rather than voters, petition to remove an area from a city that fails to provide services, adds areas along navigable waterways not connected to c…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 5–6, Republicans 17–3
Relating to the collection of state and local hotel occupancy taxes and assessments related to hotels by an accommodations intermediary
What it does: Requires online booking companies and other accommodations intermediaries to collect state and local hotel occupancy taxes on rooms booked through them and send them to the comptroller, and relieves hotels of collecti…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 11–0, Republicans 9–10
Relating to the collection of state and local hotel occupancy taxes and assessments related to hotels by an accommodations intermediary
What it does: Requires online booking companies and other accommodations intermediaries to collect state and local hotel occupancy taxes on rooms booked through them and send them to the comptroller, and relieves hotels of collecti…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 11–0, Republicans 9–10
Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying and certain other activities
What it does: Bars political subdivisions from spending public funds to hire registered lobbyists to lobby legislators or to pay associations of governments that contract with them, with exceptions for officials, employees and sher…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 8–0, Republicans 7–13
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
HB 18 · TX SENATE
Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature and certain political committees during certain periods in which a member is absent from a legislative session; authorizing a civil penalty
YesVOTED
Motion: Final passage (third reading)
Bars legislators who leave the state to block legislative action, and committees supporting them, from accepting contributions above a daily per diem from any one donor or spending campaign money on travel, food or lodging for the absence; violations carry civil penalties up to $5,000.
Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature and certain political committees during certain periods in which a member is absent from a legislative session; authorizing a civil penalty
YesVOTED
Motion: Passage to third reading (second reading)
On the version voted Sep 4, 2025: Bars legislators who leave the state to block legislative action, and committees supporting them, from accepting contributions above a daily per diem from any one donor or spending campaign money on travel, food or lodging for the absence; violations carry civil penalties up to $5,000.
Relating to prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs, including the jurisdiction of and effect of certain judgments by courts within and outside this state with respect to the manufacture and provision of those drugs, and to protections from certain counteractions under the laws of other states and jurisdictions; authorizing qui tam actions
YesVOTED
Motion: Final passage (third reading)
On the version voted Aug 28, 2025: Bans manufacturing or distributing abortion-inducing drugs in Texas, and mailing, delivering or prescribing them to or from Texas, with exceptions such as medical emergencies. Only private qui tam suits (at least $100,000 per violation) enforce it; women who take the drugs cannot be sued.
Relating to the designation and use of certain spaces and facilities according to sex; authorizing a civil penalty and a private civil right of action
YesVOTED
Motion: Concur in House amendments
On the version voted Aug 28, 2025: Tables an amendment that would strike the bill's provisions barring courts from blocking its enforcement or certifying classes, and making parties who seek such court orders pay the other side's costs and attorney fees.
Relating to certain files maintained by a law enforcement agency regarding certain employees of the agency
YesVOTED
Motion: Final passage (third reading)
On the version voted Aug 28, 2025: Requires law enforcement agencies to keep a confidential file on each officer, holding records outside the personnel file, including misconduct allegations lacking sufficient evidence. Allows review by hiring agencies, the state licensing commission, and complainants and alleged victims; bars other release.
Relating to a groundwater study of certain aquifers underlying the territory of the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District by the Texas Water Development Board before the issuance of permits or permit amendments by the district
YesVOTED
Motion: Final passage (third reading)
As amended by the Senate, requires the Texas Water Development Board to study how much groundwater can be pumped indefinitely from aquifers under the Neches and Trinity Valleys district and effects of proposed pumping and exports, reporting by January 12, 2027, without pausing new permits.
Relating to a groundwater study of certain aquifers underlying the territory of the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District by the Texas Water Development Board before the issuance of permits or permit amendments by the district
YesVOTED
Motion: Passage to third reading (second reading)
As amended by the Senate, requires the Texas Water Development Board to study how much groundwater can be pumped indefinitely from aquifers under the Neches and Trinity Valleys district and effects of proposed pumping and exports, reporting by January 12, 2027, without pausing new permits.
Relating to a groundwater study of certain aquifers underlying the territory of the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District by the Texas Water Development Board before the issuance of permits or permit amendments by the district
YesVOTED
Motion: Adopt Floor Amendment No. 1 (Nichols)
As amended by the Senate, requires the Texas Water Development Board to study how much groundwater can be pumped indefinitely from aquifers under the Neches and Trinity Valleys district and effects of proposed pumping and exports, reporting by January 12, 2027, without pausing new permits.
Relating to certain files maintained by a law enforcement agency regarding certain employees of the agency
YesVOTED
Motion: Passage to third reading (second reading)
On the version voted Aug 28, 2025: Requires law enforcement agencies to keep a confidential file on each officer, holding records outside the personnel file, including misconduct allegations lacking sufficient evidence. Allows review by hiring agencies, the state licensing commission, and complainants and alleged victims; bars other release.
Relating to prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs, including the jurisdiction of and effect of certain judgments by courts within and outside this state with respect to the manufacture and provision of those drugs, and to protections from certain counteractions under the laws of other states and jurisdictions; authorizing qui tam actions
YesVOTED
Motion: Passage to third reading (second reading)
On the version voted Aug 28, 2025: Bans manufacturing or distributing abortion-inducing drugs in Texas, and mailing, delivering or prescribing them to or from Texas, with exceptions such as medical emergencies. Only private qui tam suits (at least $100,000 per violation) enforce it; women who take the drugs cannot be sued.
