Committee advances "Trey's Law" to void NDAs in civil child-abuse settlements, sponsors say it's not retroactive

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to give SB 30 a favorable report after a lengthy discussion about nondisclosure agreements in civil child-abuse settlements.

Senator Woods, sponsor of the measure he called "Trey's Law," described the bill as a response to a specific case involving Trey Carlock, who was abused at a Christian sports camp. Woods said the bill would void any settlement provision that "prevents an individual from disclosing child abuse or facts related to child abuse," while leaving other confidentiality provisions such as settlement amounts intact.

Woods told the committee the bill is aimed at institutions that use NDAs to conceal abuse, not at changing criminal penalties: "This bill in no way prohibits the confidentiality or other aspects of a settlement agreement, including settlement amounts." He said the bill is not retroactive and cited similar state laws in Texas, Missouri and a federal Speak Out Act as context.

Committee members raised concerns that eliminating NDAs might make settlements harder to reach and push cases into open court. Senator Albritton said banning NDAs "may make it more difficult to come to any kind of a settlement in these matters." Woods responded by citing research and feedback from attorneys in Texas and organizations researching the issue, saying he had not found evidence that banning NDAs depressed settlement amounts and that removing NDAs sometimes improved negotiations.

After discussion and questions about victims' protections and the bill's limited scope, Miss Ogden called the roll. The committee recorded mostly "aye" votes and at least one recorded "no." The chair announced SB 30 received a favorable report and will proceed toward floor consideration.

Sponsors said they will continue stakeholder engagement to finalize technical language before the floor.