U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) joined fellow U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) at a Capitol Hill press conference this week to introduce federal legislation voiding non-disclosure agreements that silence survivors of child sexual abuse, building on a version of the bill Alabama signed into law last month.

Trey’s Law, formally titled the Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements Act, would make any NDA provision unenforceable if it prohibits or restricts someone from disclosing the sexual abuse of a minor or facts related to that abuse. The protection applies regardless of when the NDA was signed, including agreements reached as part of civil settlement negotiations.

The bill is named for Trey Carlock, a Dallas man who was sexually abused as a child at a Kanakuk Ministries camp by former director Pete Newman, who was convicted of the crimes.

Kanakuk’s civil settlements with victims like Trey included restrictive NDAs that silenced survivors and concealed what the organization knew about the abuse.

Before dying by suicide at age 28, Trey told a therapist, “They will always control me, and I’ll never be free.”

Britt praised Alabama’s early action on the issue and singled out the state lawmakers who carried the legislation in Montgomery.

“I want to thank those states who have already stepped up to lead — Texas, Missouri, the others that Senator Cruz mentioned — but in particular Alabama,” Britt said. “I have State Representative David Faulkner with me and State Senator Matt Woods pushing this legislation on the state level, helping build the grassroots that we need to get this across the finish line.”

Britt said the bill’s passage should be a straightforward proposition.

“I want us to get this done to honor your brother and to protect children all across the country,” Britt said, addressing Trey’s sister Elizabeth Carlock, who attended the press conference and has become a leading advocate for NDA reform. “If we cannot pass this law quickly, I’m not sure what in the world we’re even doing here.”

Cruz said NDAs have too often been used to shield abusers at the expense of their victims.

“No child who has endured sexual abuse should be forced to carry that horror in silence,” Cruz said. “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.”

Governor Kay Ivey signed Alabama’s version of Trey’s Law on February 19, 2026, after it passed unanimously through the Legislature. The federal bill is cosponsored by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

The legislation is supported by the Tim Tebow Foundation, the National Children’s Alliance, the American Association for Justice, and several other child protection organizations.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].