ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives passed legislation that would void any lawsuit settlements that seek to silence victims of childhood sexual abuse.
The bill, called Trey’s Law, is named for Trey Carlock, a child who was sexually abused at a Missouri camp. He settled a lawsuit against the camp, but a nondisclosure agreement prevented him from talking about what happened to him.
He died by suicide in 2019.
His sister, Elizabeth Phillips, testified last month at a hearing under the Gold Dome that the silence killed him. She said no one was held to account for her brother’s abuse.
Nondisclosure agreements force victims to choose between compensation and disclosure, said Rep. Soo Hong, R-Lawrenceville, explaining why she introduced House Bill 1187.
“This bill will free survivors to share their stories,” she said Wednesday, before lawmakers approved her bill 174-0, and sent it to the Senate.
HB 1187 would render any lawsuit settlement or employment agreement that requires secrecy about childhood sexual abuse unenforceable.
“This bill will free survivors to share their stories,” Hong said. “It will help uncover patterns of institutional silence and negligence, and it will deter future abuse by removing the tools used to hide misconduct.”
