“Trey’s Law” Takes Effect in Alabama, Ending the Misuse of NDAs to Silence Abuse Survivors
With Alabama’s law in effect, momentum builds for the federal version of Trey’s Law, now awaiting a vote in the U.S. House — From TreysLaw.org
From TreysLaw.org
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – October 1, 2026 – Starting today, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in civil settlements pertaining to sexual abuse, sexual assault, and trafficking claims in Alabama are void and unenforceable as a matter of public policy. Trey’s Law (SB 30), signed by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this year, applies to civil settlement agreements signed on or after October 1, 2026. This new Alabama law now ensures survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking cannot be lawfully silenced in its state’s civil courts.
Trey’s Law is named in honor of Trey Carlock, a victim of child sexual abuse at Kanakuk Ministries, a summer camp operation based in Missouri with broad reach in Alabama. After Trey’s direct perpetrator, Auburn University graduate Pete Newman, 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 leadership’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.”
At the urging of Trey’s extended family in Walker County, Sen. Matt Woods (R-District 5) authored the legislation with Rep. David Faulkner (R-District 46). This legislation is part of a growing national movement, joining Texas, Missouri, Georgia, and Louisiana in implementing versions of Trey’s Law in 2025 and 2026. Similar protections for minor victims of sexual abuse and trafficking already existed in California and Tennessee; however, Alabama’s law applies to survivors of any age.
This May, the U.S. Senate passed S. 3966 (“TREY’S Law”) by unanimous consent. It now awaits House action. The federal bill was authored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and its bipartisan co-sponsors include Alabama’s own Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL). Its House companion bill, H.R. 8571, was introduced by Reps. Brandon Gill (R-TX) and Julie Johnson (D-TX), with Alabama Congressmen Gary Palmer (R-AL-6) and Robert Aderholt (R-AL-4) signed on as co-sponsors.
Trey Carlock’s older sister and the founder of No More Victims, Elizabeth Phillips, shared the following statement:
“From this day forward, sexual assault and trafficking survivors in Alabama can no longer be silenced by NDAs when they seek civil justice. For too long, NDAs have been misused to silence victims of sexual abuse and shield predators along with other liable parties. Alabama is making it clear that a survivor’s healing, freedom of speech, and public safety matter more than preserving a bad actor’s reputation. I am deeply grateful to Senator Woods, Representative Faulkner, and Governor Ivey, as well as Alabama’s leaders in U.S. Congress, including Senator Britt and Representatives Palmer and Aderholt, who are helping carry this fight to the national stage. The federal version of Trey’s Law has already passed the U.S. Senate, and we now call on the U.S. House to finish the job so that victims are never again muzzled by the very system meant to protect them and hold their perpetrators to account.”
Supporters of Trey’s Law are encouraged to ask their U.S. Representatives to co-sponsor Trey’s Law. More information and ongoing updates are available at TreysLaw.org.
