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House committee passes "Trey's Law" to bar NDAs in child-abuse and trafficking settlements
Summary
HB1187, dubbed "Trey's Law," was advanced as amended to void nondisclosure provisions in civil settlements involving child sexual abuse, assault, and trafficking while allowing confidentiality for victims' identifying information; the committee debated retroactivity and adopted amendment language before passage.
Representative Hong introduced HB1187 (LC492538-E), "Trey's Law," saying the measure would make nondisclosure provisions in civil settlements for child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and trafficking void and unenforceable as a matter of public policy, while preserving confidentiality for victims' identifying information.
Elizabeth Phillips, whose late brother Trey Carlock is the bill's namesake, gave emotional testimony describing an NDA that silenced her brother and her view that legal silence contributed to his death. "The silence of childhood abuse survivors in state civil court is no longer for sale or up for negotiation," Phillips said, urging lawmakers to pass the bill. Multiple survivors, advocates and clinicians followed, describing NDAs as tools that perpetuate harm, impede healing and conceal patterns of abuse.
Committee members probed whether the bill would be prospective or retroactive. Representative Hong said the bill as written would be effective upon the governor's signature and not retroactive, but members discussed options used in Texas to preserve broader application, including requiring a court order to maintain an existing NDA. Members also asked for precise statutory cross-references (sponsor said she would add both relevant code sections) and how the bill's confidentiality carve-out would operate; the sponsor said identifying information of victims would remain confidential while other settlement terms could be disclosed.
Representative Evans offered circulated amendment language to tighten definitions (substituting "childhood sexual abuse" into critical lines and referencing code sections) and to require court authorization to enforce prior NDAs. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed HB1187 as amended by voice vote. Sponsor and advocates said they would continue to work on retroactivity-related language and potential court-order mechanisms.
The transcript records multiple firsthand survivor accounts and clinician testimony supporting the bill; the committee adopted an amendment and advanced the bill for further action.
