On January 23, 2026, lawmakers in Oklahoma took a bold step to protect survivors of sexual abuse. They did so with the filing of Trey’s Law (HB 4227) in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. This bill would make nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in civil cases involving child sexual abuse and human trafficking void and unenforceable retroactively and forward-looking. As a result, survivors can speak openly about their experiences and reclaim their voices. The legislation also pairs this reform with the elimination of the criminal statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. This aligns Oklahoma with other states that recognize the urgent need for justice and safety reforms.
What Trey’s Law Does
Trey’s Law would:
- Prohibit NDAs in civil settlements related to child sexual abuse and trafficking, ensuring survivors have a legal right to speak their truth.
- Apply to both future settlements and past agreements, giving survivors trapped by prior NDAs new freedom to share their stories.
The bill carries the name of Trey Carlock, a survivor whose tragic abuse and the silencing effect of NDAs have inspired a growing movement for statutory change.
How NDAs Have Been Weaponized
NDAs were originally business tools designed to protect genuine trade secrets and proprietary information. Unfortunately, these agreements have been misused for decades in civil settlements to shield wrongdoers and institutions from accountability. This is especially true in sexual abuse contexts.
Instead of safeguarding legitimate business interests, many institutions from schools to churches have used NDAs to:
- Silence victims forever about sexual abuse they suffered.
- Prevent survivors from warning others or exposing patterns of misconduct.
- Shield perpetrators and enabling institutions from scrutiny.
For survivors, these agreements don’t just hide the truth. Instead, they compound trauma, isolate victims, and often deter broader systemic accountability and prevention.
State-by-State Progress: Where NDA Bans Are Headed
A growing number of states are reforming the law to limit or prohibit NDAs in sexual abuse cases, especially where NDAs have been used to hide wrongdoing in civil settlements involving sexual assault or child abuse.
Here’s a breakdown of legislative progress:
States that have passed Trey’s Law-style or similar bans
- California — Prohibits NDA provisions in settlement agreements for felony sex offenses, child sexual abuse, and related exploitation, making such clauses unenforceable.
- Tennessee — Renders NDAs in child sexual abuse claims unenforceable, with confidentiality protections for personal identifying information.
- Texas — Passed a statewide statute voiding NDAs in sexual assault and child abuse settlements, including retroactive effects, so survivors are free to tell their stories.
- Missouri — Voids NDAs in child sexual abuse cases post-August 28, 2025, ensuring survivors and communities aren’t silenced.
States filing or considering similar reforms
- Alabama — Both chambers approved bills that would make NDAs in sexual abuse, assault, and human trafficking settlements unenforceable.
- Oklahoma — Trey’s Law filed in the House aims to ban NDAs and eliminate the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.
Federal Law and Workplace NDAs
At the federal level, the Speak Out Act became law in 2022, barring enforcement of NDAs and non-disparagement clauses in cases involving sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. This law reflects broad bipartisan support for ensuring survivors are not contractually silenced when reporting misconduct.
However, while this federal law tackles workplace abuses, it doesn’t directly address NDAs in civil settlements of child sexual abuse or trafficking. This is where Trey’s Law and similar state provisions are breaking new ground.
NDAs and the Catholic Church: A Legacy of Silence
Religious institutions, including the Catholic Church, have a long and painful history of responding to allegations of sexual abuse by clergy with secrecy, internal handling, and confidentiality. Survivors and legal advocates have documented how the Church and similar institutions used NDAs and confidentiality agreements to suppress victims’ stories, slowing justice and obstructing transparency.
While there isn’t yet a sweeping declaration by the Catholic Church formally voiding all NDAs nationwide, recent legal developments such as large mediated settlements in diocesan abuse cases and pushback from survivors and advocates have eroded the historical power of NDAs in these contexts. For example:
- Dioceses like the Archdiocese of New Orleans have negotiated major settlements that include reforms to how abuse cases are publicly acknowledged and addressed. These reforms reflect broader accountability demands.
- New Jersey and Pennsylvania victims had their NDA’s invalidated so they could pursue justice.
- Survivor advocacy groups continue pressing the Vatican and national hierarchies for transparency, zero-tolerance policies, and more public acknowledgment of abuse and institutional failures. This signals a cultural and legal shift away from enforced silence.
These pressures, combined with state laws targeting NDAs in abuse settlements, are gradually changing the landscape. Now institutions must confront their pasts and avoid hiding the truth of abuse.
What This Means for Survivors and for Justice
The movement behind Trey’s Law is about more than technical legal reform; it’s about restoring dignity and agency to people who have been silenced for far too long. By making NDAs unenforceable in cases of sexual abuse and trafficking:
- Survivors can speak freely about their experiences.
- Communities can recognize patterns of abuse, empowering prevention.
- Institutions are less able to conceal wrongdoing behind legalese.
This shift from enforced silence toward open accountability sets pathways for healing, justice, and meaningful systemic change.
What You Can Do
Trey’s Law represents a powerful step toward a legal system that values survivors’ voices over institutional protection. As more states move to ban NDAs in sexual abuse settlements and the nation continues shaking off decades of secrecy, survivors finally have legislative momentum behind them. Consequently, this lets truth, healing, and justice flourish.
To advocate for reforms that aide childhood sexual abuse victims, contact your local legislatures. If you have a case you want confidential and free advice on, contact us today. 1-866-753-5458