In a sweeping move that cracks open years of legal silence, Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill in mid-May that makes nondisclosure agreements in civil settlements involving child sexual abuse victims void and unenforceable. Enacted as Act 251 and widely referred to as Louisiana’s version of "Trey’s Law," the measure is written to apply retroactively so survivors who signed those deals are no longer legally blocked from speaking about what happened to them.
State Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, told the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee that nondisclosure agreements "have been moved into the civil context where victims are not able to talk," according to WVUE. The station reported that the bill was modeled on the case of Trey Carlock and that his sister, Elizabeth Phillips, has said an NDA in his settlement contributed to his death.
What the law does
The reengrossed bill text on the Louisiana Legislature’s website formally names the package the "Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements Law" or "TREY'S Law." It states that nondisclosure clauses that bar victims or others from disclosing child sexual abuse are "void and unenforceable" and confirms that those protections apply retroactively, the legislative text shows. The statute still allows parties to keep other parts of a settlement confidential, such as payment terms, as long as those limits do not stop a victim from speaking, and it takes effect upon the governor’s signature, according to the Louisiana Legislature.
A family's push
The measure grew out of years of advocacy by Elizabeth Phillips, who lost her brother, Trey Carlock, after he was abused as a child and has said a settlement NDA kept him silent. She helped build the Trey’s Law movement, according to the group’s newsroom (Trey’s Law). Trey’s Law advocates and regional reporting note that similar bills have already passed in states including Texas and Missouri, and supporters in Louisiana said the new law follows that momentum (KCUR).
Legal questions ahead
Because the law reaches back into past settlements, attorneys expect a wave of motions asking judges to declare specific NDA clauses unenforceable. That could quickly lead to contested hearings over how broadly the statute applies and what language courts should strike, legislative observers say. The bill cleared the Senate unanimously in April and advanced through a House committee before landing on Landry’s desk, according to local Capitol reporting (WRKF).
What comes next
Supporters have framed the law as a needed course correction that puts survivors’ voices ahead of secret settlements, while some legal observers warn it could trigger new rounds of litigation as courts sort out how retroactivity works and how far exceptions for legitimate confidentiality needs should go. The statute is tracked as Act 251 in session documents and will take effect upon the governor’s signature, with lawyers and survivor groups already preparing to test its scope in Louisiana courts, according to the Louisiana Legislature.
