Trey’s law, a bill banning nondisclosure agreements in civil settlements of child sex abuse cases, is another step closer to becoming the law of the land nationally.
The bipartisan bill, called the Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements (TREY’S Law), was introduced federally back in March by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who were joined by Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). It was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, May 14. The bill’s passage in the committee advances it on to the Senate floor. A companion bill was filed in the U.S. House in April.
The legislation, a version of which has already been signed into law in Texas, is named for Trey Carlock, who grew up in the Park Cities. Trey’s sister, Elizabeth Phillips, testified during a hearing that her brother was abused from age 7 to 17 by a former staffer at Kanakuk, a Christian summer camp based in southwest Missouri. Phillips further said that her brother was prevented from speaking out about the alleged abuse by a nondisclosure agreement. Trey ultimately died by suicide at the age of 28 in 2019.
Cruz, during the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting Thursday, called the legislation “an important protection for kids.”
“I wish I could say what happened to Trey was an outlier, was unusual, but it is not. Child sexual assault occurs far too often in this country, and frequently, litigation that ensues results in a nondisclosure agreement that attempts to muzzle the child from telling his story or her story forever. That is wrong,” Cruz said during the hearing. “Trey’s sister, Elizabeth, has been a heroic warrior, telling his story, advocating for this protection for kids.”
The meeting and the vote are available to watch here.
A post on the social media page for Trey’s Law thanked the legislators for the support of the legislation.
“Thank you to Senator Ted Cruz and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for being the original champions of Trey’s Law, and survivors are so grateful to the MANY Senators who signed on as cosponsors two weeks ago and then also today as this important child protection bill continues to progress in D.C.,” the post reads.
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