Trey’s Law Is Changing Lives. Why Doesn’t Every Survivor Get the Same Protection?

A new video released by the advocates behind Trey’s Law celebrates a major legislative milestone: the passage of laws in both Texas and Missouri that ban the use of non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases. The video marks a shift from advocacy to action, showing what is possible when survivors, families, and lawmakers work together to change the system. It also issues a clear challenge to other jurisdictions: follow suit.

Watch the full video here:

Video courtesy of www.treyslaw.com

What Trey’s Law Did in Texas and Missouri

In Texas, Senate Bill 835, known as Trey’s Law, was passed unanimously by both the House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 21, 2025. The legislation invalidates any non-disclosure agreement that prevents someone from discussing sexual abuse, including child sexual abuse, assault, and trafficking. It applies retroactively, allowing existing NDAs to remain enforceable only if a court grants a declaratory judgment. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025.

The law is named in memory of Trey Carlock, a survivor of child sexual abuse at Camp Kanakuk in Missouri. He later entered into a settlement agreement that included an NDA. In the years following, he expressed to his family that the agreement made him feel permanently silenced and controlled. Trey died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 28. His sister, Elizabeth Carlock Phillips, became a leading advocate for legal reform in his name and testified in support of the bill.

In Missouri, a related bill was signed into law by Governor Mike Kehoe on June 10, 2025. It voids NDAs in child sexual abuse cases that are signed after August 28, 2025. The bill passed unanimously in both the Missouri House and Senate. Like its Texas counterpart, it reflects a growing recognition that the use of NDAs in abuse cases protects abusers and institutions while silencing victims.

Canada, We Need to Listen

Trey’s Law proves that governments can take real action to protect survivors from being silenced. It didn’t happen quietly. It happened because people demanded it. Survivors spoke up. Families refused to back down. Lawmakers listened.

There are key lessons here for Canada.

First, NDAs do not belong in child sexual abuse cases. Their use protects abusers and institutions, not victims. Trey’s Law recognizes this by voiding existing NDAs, not just preventing future ones. That retroactive scope matters. Survivors who signed agreements years ago are still carrying the weight of those secrets. Waiting for new policies that only apply moving forward ignores the harm already done.

Second, the law puts decision-making in the survivor’s hands. In Texas, an NDA can only be enforced if a court grants a declaratory judgment—a process that centers legal scrutiny and survivor consent. This shifts the power dynamic. It acknowledges that survivors should not have to fight alone to speak.

Finally, these laws were passed unanimously. They were not partisan victories. They were human ones. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum supported the legislation because the public made it impossible not to. It wasn’t just about justice. It was about accountability.

Canada does not yet have a law that voids NDAs in child sexual abuse cases. Bill S-232, now before the Senate, is a step forward. But like earlier versions, it is narrowly focused on workplace harassment and federally funded organizations. It does not address NDAs tied to private institutions, religious organizations, or community groups. It does not apply retroactively. And it does not cover the specific reality of child sexual abuse.

We know these agreements are being used in Canada. Survivors have told us. Lawyers have drafted them. Institutions have relied on them to keep stories quiet. That silence has consequences. It protects predators. It enables repeat harm. And it makes healing harder.

Our Call to Action

To every legislator in Canada: watch this video. Ask yourself why survivors in Texas and Missouri have more legal freedom to tell the truth than survivors here. Then ask what you're going to do about it.

To our supporters and allies:

• Share this post.

• Contact your MP and ask where they stand on NDAs in abuse cases.

• Sign up for updates from The Restitution Project.

• Help us bring this issue to provincial legislatures across Canada.

  
  

We don’t need to reinvent the wheel—we just need the courage to roll it forward.