TREY'S Law
Sen. Cruz Introduces Bipartisan TREY’S Law to Ban NDAs That Silence Child Abuse Victims
A bill to prohibit the enforcement of certain contractual clauses that restrict disclosure of sexual abuse of minors, and for other purposes.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
People who committed or are accused of sexual abuse of minors and who used NDAs to keep victims silent would lose that legal protection. Existing secrecy agreements would become void retroactively, exposing past abusers to renewed public scrutiny, law enforcement investigation, and potential prosecution. This is a negative impact on this group because it removes a shield they relied on, though it serves the broader public interest.
“No person may enforce or attempt to enforce a nondisclosure clause described in section 4(a), regardless of the date on which the contract or agreement containing the nondisclosure clause was entered into.”
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
Senators announce bipartisan support for a federal 'Trey's Law'
Six bipartisan U.S. senators introduced the 'Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements Law' (TREY’S Law). The federal bill would void NDAs that silence child sexual abuse survivors, establishing a national baseline while allowing victims to maintain privacy if they choose.
Bill to make NDAs unenforceable in sexual abuse cases introduced to Congress
Introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand, TREY’S Law would federalize protections against NDAs in child abuse cases. The bill is named after a victim of abuse at Kanakuk Kamps whose sister testified that restrictive NDAs are often used as 'lawful hush money' to protect bad actors.
Ted Cruz leads bipartisan bill that would void and prohibit confidentiality clauses in child sex abuse cases
The federal TREY’S Law follows similar legislation passed in states like Texas and Missouri. It targets 'predatory' nondisclosure agreements that shield perpetrators from accountability, ensuring that survivors' voices are restored even if they signed agreements years ago.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to prohibit the enforcement of certain contractual clauses that restrict disclosure of sexual abuse of minors, and for other purposes.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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