The Texas House has passed a bipartisan bill banning nondisclosure clauses in sexual abuse settlements. The 8 April 2025 passage of “Trey’s Law”, House Bill 748, prevents churches and other institutions from requiring survivors to sign nondiscloure agreements in settlement agreements regarding sexual abuse.
The bill, authored by Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano) was named Trey’s Law is named in honor of Trey Carlock, who committed suicide after signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) related to sexual abuse he suffered at Kanakuk Kamps in Missouri.
In testimony before the Texas House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, Carlock’s sister, Elizabeth Carlock Phillips said her brother endured a decade of abuse at the hands of an employee of the Kanakuk Kamps, then signed an NDA that caused him to even question whether he should discuss details of his abuse with his therapist.
Phillips testified Kanakuk first claimed they don’t use NDAs, then claimed it uses them only at the request of the victims, and finally admitted to using them but only because their insurance company requires them to do so.
Healing happens by “sharing your story in safe places, finding support, and solidarity,” testified Phillips, noting NDA’s blocked the “path to healing” of victims.
A spokesman for the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told the committee the Catholic Church supported the bill. Jennifer Almond, who spoke on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in support of the bill said the Catholic Church will enter into a confidentiality agreement at the request of a survivor who does not wish to have their name disclosed, however, the church will disclose the name of the credibly accused priest.
The Rt. Rev. Ryan Reed, Anglican Bishop of Fort Worth told Anglican.Ink, he did not speak “for anyone outside of the Diocese, but personally, I support any state legislation that protects victims and might prevent future abuse.”
The bill states that NDAs entered into before passage of Trey’s Law’s effectiveness could only be enforced by a civil court declaratory judgment. However, the new law maintains the confidentiality of other terms of settlement agreements, including monetary amounts, and expands the scope of sexual abuse covered by the measure to include human trafficking, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault.
A companion bill, Senate Bill 1587, was referred to the State Affairs Committee March 10, according to Texas Legislature Online.