In a major step toward protecting survivors and exposing institutional cover-ups, the Texas Legislature has passed landmark legislation banning the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases involving child sexual abuse. The bill, known as Trey’s Law, is now headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk for signature.
House Bill 748, authored by Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano), and its companion Senate Bill 835 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney), were crafted to ensure that NDAs — long used by powerful organizations to conceal allegations of child sexual abuse — can no longer be enforced in Texas when they silence minor victims.
“This is a truly historic victory for survivors and victims,” Leach said in a statement after the bill’s passage. “It is a death blow to their perpetrators hiding in the shadows.”
The legislation passed with unanimous support in both chambers, marking a rare moment of bipartisan unity. On April 3, Leach delivered a powerful speech on the House floor, urging lawmakers to “stand with the victims today” or “stand with their abusers.” The House passed the bill without a single vote in opposition. The Senate followed suit, opting to move forward with Paxton’s identical SB 835, which then cleared the House in back-to-back votes over the weekend.
Trey’s Law is named in honor of Trey Carlock, who died by suicide in 2019 after settling a civil lawsuit that included an NDA with Kanakuk Camps, a Christian camp network based in Missouri. His lawsuit alleged that he was repeatedly abused by camp counselor Pete Newman, who was later sentenced to two life terms for child sex crimes.
Carlock’s sister, Elizabeth Carlock Philips, was a driving force behind the bill and delivered impassioned testimony during committee hearings. After the bill passed its second House vote, she posted on social media, “Zero ‘no’ votes this entire session and even a ‘yes’ from Speaker Burrows today! I’m overwhelmed. Thank you Texas legislature for standing with survivors and protecting the truth their voices hold.”
“This brings hope and healing more than we’ll ever know,” she added.
Another survivor, Cindy Clemishire, also played a crucial role in the legislative process. Her testimony, centered on her abuse allegations against televangelist Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church, brought further attention to how NDAs can be used to silence victims and protect abusers. Morris recently turned himself in to Oklahoma authorities after being indicted on five felony counts involving minors.
In a press release following the bill’s final passage, Sen. Paxton praised the move as “a critical step forward for justice, transparency, and the protection of future victims.”
“For too long,” she said, “powerful institutions and individuals have used NDAs as a tool to cover up abuse and silence the voices of those they’ve harmed. Trey’s Law ensures that survivors can speak their truth — and abusers and those who enable them can no longer hide behind legal loopholes.”
Trey’s Law is part of a broader push in the 89th Texas Legislative Session to strengthen legal protections for abuse victims. Similar bills were filed by Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), Rep. Mitch Little (R-Lewisville), and Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield), underscoring growing momentum behind the movement to dismantle legal structures that protect abusers over survivors.
With Gov. Abbott expected to review the legislation in the coming days, advocates are hopeful the bill will become law, setting a national example for transparency and victim-centered justice.
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