A Republican bill with 4 Democratic cosponsors · See all 16 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements Law, or TREY'S Law. It makes any contractual clause that stops someone from talking about the sexual abuse of a minor completely void and unenforceable. The bill stops these gag orders so that survivors and witnesses can freely report crimes to law enforcement, child protection authorities, regulators, and the courts. It applies to contracts made before, on, or after the date the bill becomes law. It also overrides any state laws that allow these kinds of restrictive clauses to be enforced.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +10
Would children be better off under this?
Directly protects minors by preventing the concealment of their sexual abuse.
- Scored +8
Does this protect the individual right to speak freely?
Protects the right of survivors to disclose sexual abuse without civil liability.
- Scored +8
Does this protect what people are allowed to say in public life?
Prevents the use of contracts to silence victims of child sexual abuse.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
It supersedes state laws that would otherwise allow the enforcement of specific nondisclosure clauses.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 4(a): This section makes nondisclosure clauses void and unenforceable if they stop a victim, alleged victim, or any other person from disclosing sexual abuse against a minor or related facts. This is positive because it ensures that survivors and witnesses can freely report abuse and talk about it without fear of being sued or punished.
-
Section 5(a) and Section 5(b): These provisions apply the law retroactively to any contract entered into before, on, or after the enactment date and ban anyone from trying to enforce these illegal gag orders. This is a positive step for accountability because it means old agreements hiding child sexual abuse can no longer be used to silence people.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 4(b): This section allows parties to still enter into confidentiality agreements that restrict the disclosure of things like settlement amounts and payment terms. While victims can still talk about the abuse itself, the continued secrecy around financial payouts might keep parts of settlements hidden from the public eye.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the individual right to speak freely? — Protects the right of survivors to disclose sexual abuse without civil liability. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Ensures survivors have meaningful access to courts and the right to petition the government. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Facilitates the reporting of crimes to federal regulators, Congress, and courts. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill preempts state laws to ensure federal standards against silencing abuse victims. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — It supersedes state laws that would otherwise allow the enforcement of specific nondisclosure clauses.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — Directly protects minors by preventing the concealment of their sexual abuse. Would students be better off under this? — Increases protections for students who may be victims of abuse in institutional settings. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides retroactive protection for those who were minors at the time of abuse.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect what people are allowed to say in public life? — Prevents the use of contracts to silence victims of child sexual abuse.
- 11/2/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/26/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/18/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/4/2026
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- 4/30/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/29/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Robert AderholtRepublican · Alabama
Clay FullerRepublican · Georgia
Lance GoodenRepublican · Texas
Craig GoldmanRepublican · Texas
Wesley HuntRepublican · Texas
Ronny JacksonRepublican · Texas
Julie JohnsonDemocrat · Texas
Timothy KennedyDemocrat · New York
Nancy MaceRepublican · South Carolina
Gregory MeeksDemocrat · New York
Cory MillsRepublican · Florida
John MannionDemocrat · New York
Gary PalmerRepublican · Alabama
Keith SelfRepublican · Texas
Derek SchmidtRepublican · Kansas
Beth Van DuyneRepublican · Texas