“Trey’s Law” bills SB30 and HB93, authored by Alabama Sen. Matt Woods, R-District 5, and Rep. David Faulkner, R-District 46, have both been passed by their originating chambers with zero “no” votes. SB30 was passed by the Alabama Senate last Wednesday with a vote of 29-0, and HB93 was passed by the Alabama House of Representatives last Thursday with a vote of 98-0. The bills will now cross chambers.
Senator Woods, quoting Trey’s Law founder Elizabeth Phillips, said on the Senate floor “The use of NDAs in settlement agreements is essentially lawful hush money. It’s institutional abuse on top of sexual abuse. NDAs are a legal mechanism that were created to protect trade secrets, not trauma secrets.”
“Part of the healing process is that child being able to tell that story, what happened to them. And just think of how many other people and children that they can help by telling that story. So I thank you, you have my full support with this bill, and I thank you for bringing it,” added Sen. Vivian Figures, D-District 33, on the Senate floor before the 29-0 vote in favor.
Both versions of “Trey’s Law” introduced in Alabama would prohibit NDAs in civil cases involving sexual abuse, assault and trafficking, in the interest of public safety. They ensure survivors can share their stories without fear of legal repercussions. As drafted, the bills would apply to agreements entered into, executed or amended on or after Oct. 1, 2026.
“Trey’s Law is named for Trey Carlock, a victim of child sexual abuse while he attended a camp. After his abuser was sentenced to 3 life terms in 2010, Trey pursued justice to hold others involved accountable through civil litigation. That retraumatizing process ended with a settlement agreement that included a restrictive NDA, barring Trey from ever speaking about this abuse. At the age of 28, Trey died by suicide after telling a therapist, ‘They will always control me, and I’ll never be free,’” said Rep. Faulkner on the House floor before the unanimous vote.
“Trey Carlock—we need to remember his name. We want to continue to give victims of sexual abuse a voice. Prohibiting these nondisclosure agreements is essential,” added Rep. Susan DuBose, R–District 45, on the House floor. “We need to end the silence, expose these abusers, and protect children. So thank you for bringing HB 93. I’m a supporter, and I appreciate your work.”
As this survivor-led movement gained national attention earlier this year, versions of Trey’s Law were passed with unanimous and bipartisan support in Texas, taking effect Sept. 1, 2025, and in Missouri on Aug. 28, 2025. Survivors, advocates, mental health professionals, subject matter experts and faith leaders all testified in strong support of the bills. Legislation has also been filed in Oklahoma this session, and “Trey’s Law” was announced as a priority bill by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in his state of the state address last week. More information and ongoing updates are available at TreysLaw.org.
