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yesterday

Texas Legislature Approves 'Trey’s Law' Prohibiting NDAs in Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Anticipated to take effect September 1, 2025, the law awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.

Cindy Clemishire and Elizabeth Phillips testified in support of a bill related to non-disclosure agreements in a March 19 Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence committee hearing.
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Overview

  • Senate Bill 835 cleared the Senate on May 15 and passed the House on May 26, officially sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
  • The law bars nondisclosure agreements in civil cases of sexual abuse involving child victims or trafficking to prevent survivors from being silenced.
  • Sen. Angela Paxton, the bill’s author, said NDAs have long shielded abusers, and Rep. Jeff Leach described the measure as a decisive victory for victims.
  • Named for Trey Carlock—a Dallas man who died by suicide in 2019 after being forced to sign an NDA— the law draws on his case to underscore the harm of secret settlements.
  • Cindy Clemishire, who accused former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris of childhood abuse, testified that she refused a $25,000 NDA offer and now Morris faces criminal charges in Oklahoma related to her allegations.