TREY’S Act would ban NDAs in civil cases tied to child sexual abuse and trafficking. The bill would void any NDA clause that stops survivors from speaking. Supporters say the ban on NDAs would protect children and strengthen accountability. Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Katie Britt unveiled TREY’S Act at a Tuesday press conference on Capitol Hill. Cruz said lawmakers have a moral duty to protect children because they are vulnerable.
Senators pitch a rare bipartisan coalition
Three Republicans and three Democrats co-sponsored TREY’S Act, and leaders framed it as nonpartisan. Cruz said no senator has refused to join the effort, so momentum appears broad. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said NDAs have silenced survivors and shielded perpetrators. She argued that survivors should tell their stories and pursue accountability. A Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Eric Schmitt, did not attend the event. The Democratic co-sponsors also did not appear at the press conference.
Trey Carlock’s story drives the legislation
Advocate Elizabeth Phillips joined the senators and spoke about her late brother, Trey Carlock. Trey’s Law honors Carlock, who suffered abuse at a Missouri summer camp. Cruz said former camp director Pete Newman assaulted Carlock for years. Newman is serving two life sentences plus 30 years for crimes against 57 victims. Cruz said a settlement offered Carlock money but demanded silence through an NDA. Carlock died by suicide in 2019 at age 28. Phillips recalled him saying he would never be free, so she called the issue life and death.
Retroactive reach and growing state action
The nine-page bill would apply retroactively, and supporters emphasized the voices it would restore. Phillips said TREY’S Act would free survivors already bound by existing NDAs. Advocates say Texas has the strongest version, but the federal bill focuses on abuse suffered in childhood. In 2026, lawmakers in eight states introduced similar bills. Britt said Alabama passed a version and awaits Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature. Texas, Missouri, California, and Tennessee already prohibit NDAs for sex abuse victims.
Supporters and detractors weigh the stakes
Supporters say banning NDAs helps survivors heal, and it exposes wrongdoing that secrecy protects. They also cite prevalence, including a claim that one in eight children faces sexual assault before 18. Detractors and skeptics may worry retroactive changes disrupt settled agreements, but Phillips said even expected opponents testified in favor at the state level.
U.S. Senators introduce bipartisan federal bill to ban NDAs for child sex abuse victims
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