Following this past year’s passage of Trey’s Law in both Texas and Missouri, Sen. Matt Woods and Rep. David Faulkner have pre-filed legislation to make the law apply in Alabama.
Filed as SB-30 and HB-93, also known as “Trey’s Law,” the legislation seeks to take decisive action to ensure survivors of sexual abuse, assault and trafficking are no longer silenced by nondisclosure agreements in civil settlements. These contracts, often intended to protect confidential corporate IP and data, have been misused often to suppress survivors’ stories and shield bad actors from accountability.
The 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.
“This legislation is a statement that survivors’ voices will no longer be lawfully silenced in Alabama’s civil courts,” said Elizabeth Phillips, founder of Trey’s Law. “We applaud Sen. Woods and Rep. Faulkner for championing a future where truth, healing and freedom of speech are protected victims’ rights.”
Phillips’ younger brother, Trey Carlock, is the namesake of “Trey’s Law.”
Trey was a victim of child sexual abuse at Kanakuk Ministries, a Christian sports camp in Missouri. After his abuser was sentenced to three 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 his abuse and Kanakuk’s role in it.
At the age of 28, Trey died by suicide after telling a therapist, “They will always control me, and I’ll never be free.”
As this survivor-led movement gained national attention earlier this year, versions of “Trey’s Law” were unanimously passed in Texas and Missouri and took effect in those states on Sept. 1 and Aug. 28, respectively. Survivors, advocates, mental health professionals, subject matter experts and faith leaders all testified in strong support of the bill.
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