On Jan. 15, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced during his State of the State address that passage of “Trey’s Law” will be a priority of First Lady Marty Kemp and the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion and Education Commission.
Trey’s Law legislation seeks to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements against child sexual abuse and trafficking victims in civil settlement agreements. These contracts, often intended to protect confidential corporate IP and data, have been used to suppress survivors’ stories and shield bad actors from accountability in Georgia’s civil courts.
Brian Kemp
After this survivor-led movement gained national attention last year, versions of Trey’s Law passed with unanimous and bipartisan support in both Missouri and Texas legislatures. Survivors, advocates, mental health professionals, subject matter experts and faith leaders all testified in strong support of the bills, and it is now the law of the land in both states.
This session, similar language has been filed in Alabama with conversations among state leaders shaping around questions about how this legislation will change the litigation process for future survivors.
Soon, another version of the law will be introduced in the Georgia Legislature.
“We all know this fight is not over. That’s why my team will introduce an 11th bill in the coming days that will further protect our children, expose abusers and save lives by preventing the silence imposed on far too many victims,” Kemp said in his address. “Modeled after Trey’s Law passed in other states, it will be just the latest reminder that no child should be a victim of such an evil act.”
“We are deeply grateful to the first lady for her leadership to protect survivors’ voices,” said Elizabeth Phillips, founder of Trey’s Law. Phillips’ late brother, Trey Carlock, is the namesake of Trey’s Law. Trey grew up in Atlanta and Dallas.
He was a victim of child sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps, a popular Christian sports camp based 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 civil settlement agreement that included a restrictive NDA, legally silencing him from 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.”
Having championed the legislation for multiple years in multiple states, Phillips believes Trey’s Law is making the world a safer place by allowing survivors the freedom to tell their stories without fear of legal repercussion: “This will help so many victims suffering in the shadows to heal and make Georgia safer for all children.”
More information and ongoing updates are available at TreysLaw.org.