U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Ted Cruz Hold Press Conference on Trey’s Law, Legislation Seeking to Void NDAs that Silence Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) held a press conference on Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements (TREY'S) Law. The bill voids non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that silence survivors of child sexual abuse.

The bill is named in honor of Trey Carlock, a beloved citizen of Dallas, Texas, who was silenced by such an NDA, retraumatized by a civil litigation process against Kanakuk Ministries, and ultimately died by suicide at age 28.

The process was related to crimes committed by Pete Newman, a former director of a Kanakuk Ministries camp for ages 6 to 11 who was convicted of sexual abuse, and who groomed and sexually abused Trey and others.

"The story of Trey Carlock is not only tragic, but preventable. Going through trauma as severe as sexual abuse and grooming as a child is unimaginable enough, but being put into a situation where they are essentially forced into not speaking about that trauma is beyond the pale. Anyone trying to silence survivors of these heinous crimes-through contractual agreements, litigation, or otherwise-is evil," said Senator Britt in part today. "I have long said that I intend to serve in the Senate as a voice for the voiceless, which is why I'm proud to co-lead this legislation and honor Trey's memory so we can prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again."

Trey's Law prevents the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence survivors of child sexual abuse and trafficking. The bill makes any NDA provision unenforceable if it prohibits or restricts someone from disclosing the sexual abuse of a minor or facts related to that abuse. Importantly, this protection applies regardless of when the NDA was signed, whether before a dispute arose or as part of a civil settlement agreement.

Trey was required to file civil litigation by the age of 23, due to Texas's civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases at the time his abuse, which became known through a 2009 criminal investigation. Kanakuk's settlements with "John Does" like Trey included restrictive NDAs, which silenced victims and concealed what and when Kanakuk knew about abuses.

Before he died by suicide Trey told a therapist, "They will always control me, and I'll never be free." His story has sparked a movement of others coming forward about institutional abuse, and survivors continue advocating for NDA reform to prevent victims of childhood sexual abuse or trafficking from being silenced.

"No child who has endured sexual abuse should be forced to carry that horror in silence. Non-disclosure agreements are too often used to protect abusers, with incalculable and catastrophic consequences for their victims. We owe it to Trey to ensure that victims have the right to speak about their experiences and that contracts are not used to silence survivors. I'm grateful to my colleagues for joining me in introducing this bipartisan bill, and I'm committed to seeing it advanced expeditiously," said Senator Cruz.

During the press conference, Senators Britt and Cruz were joined by Elizabeth Carlock, Trey's sister and key advocate of Trey's Law, and Jayden Harris, a 19-year old who was spared an NDA in her Missouri lawsuit last year due to Trey's Law going into effect in August 2025 in Missouri.

Senators Britt and Cruz were joined by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in introducing Trey's Law. A version of Trey's Law recently passed unanimously through the Alabama legislature and was signed by Governor Ivey on February 19, 2026.

Trey's Law Initiative Founder Elizabeth Phillips said, "For decades, survivors of child sexual abuse have suffered in the shadows under NDAs in civil settlement agreements, terrified that sharing their story would lead to a lawsuit or other repercussions. TREY'S Law doesn't just protect future victims; it restores the voices of those silenced by existing NDAs. This bill's passage will say to every survivor currently living under a gag order: 'Your voice is yours again. You are free to speak about what happened to you. And what you have to say matters.' Senators Cruz and Gillibrand's bill has my full support."

This legislation is supported by the American Association for Justice, Prevent Together - The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, Protect Our Children, National Children's Alliance, Tim Tebow Foundation, Unsilenced, Joyful Heart Foundation, Children's Justice Campaign - Enough Abuse, Zero Abuse Project, Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, and Rights4Girls.

One of Senator Britt's top legislative priorities is protecting children online, including from sexual exploitation. Her bipartisan bills, including the Stop the Scroll Act, the Kids Off Social Media Act, address youth mental health and the GUARD Act would sets strict rules on AI chatbots' interactions with minors and holds developers legally responsible for harmful or exploitative behavior.

You can watch the Senator's remarks here and read the full text of the bill here.

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