Senator Cruz Delivers Remarks on the Senate Floor for TREY's Law

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]I rise today to share the story of a young man who didn't have the opportunity to share his own story.

[00:00:08]His name was Trey Carlock.

[00:00:12]And for years, he struggled in silence with the trauma and the wounds inflicted by someone he once trusted at a summer camp he attended for many years.

[00:00:28]So, let me share Trey's story.

[00:00:31]Trey was a young man who loved the Lord.

[00:00:35]He loved his family. He loved his friends. And he proudly resided in my home state of Texas. As a young boy, Trey attended summer camp in Branson, Missouri, where he and dozens of other campers were sexually assaulted by the camp director.

[00:00:55]As an adult, Trey sought accountability.

[00:00:59]He filed a lawsuit against the camp he attended in an effort to hold the camp responsible and to seek justice, not only for himself, but for others.

[00:01:09]But instead of justice, Trey was offered a settlement. And that settlement came with a non-disclosure agreement which mandated Trey silence.

[00:01:20]After years of fighting to recover from abuse, Trey settlement reminded him that his voice could be bought, that his story could be buried, that the price of compensation was silence.

[00:01:38]Trey once told his therapist, quote, "They will always control me and I'll never be free."

[00:01:46]Not long after Trey died by suicide.

[00:01:52]He was only 28 years old.

[00:01:55]No child who has endured sexual abuse should be forced to carry that horror in silence. No child should be forced to walk alone in that pain.

[00:02:10]And no child should be forced to accept agreements that protect the abuser.

[00:02:17]In Trey's case, and tragically many others, non-disclosure agreements are used to shield the abuser.

[00:02:27]Children are the most vulnerable and most precious members of our society.

[00:02:33]As legislators, as parents, as human beings, we have a moral obligation to stand between children and those who would harm them.

[00:02:48]That's why I've introduced Trey's law.

[00:02:53]Trey's law will protect, defend, and support children who are the victims of sexual assault.

[00:03:01]It ensures that non-disclosure agreements cannot be used to silence minors who have endured abuse.

[00:03:11]At the same time, the bill preserves the confidentiality of settlement amounts and allows victims themselves to insist on privacy if they so choose. What it does not allow is the forced silencing of victims in order to protect the abusers.

[00:03:30]Trey's law establishes a clear national baseline. No NDA may be used to silence the disclosure of child sexual abuse.

[00:03:40]And importantly, this legislation does not prevent the states from going further. Versions of Trey's law have already passed in Texas, in Alabama, in Missouri, Tennessee, California, and other states have also taken steps to prohibit the use of NDAs in cases of child sexual abuse. These are meaningful steps in the right direction, but we owe it to Trey and to every victim to ensure that they have the right to speak about their experiences. they have the right to rely on those around them that they know their stories will not be silenced and most importantly that they are not alone.

[00:04:25]In just a moment I will propound a unanimous consent request to take up and pass Trey's law to make sure that no other children feel controlled or defeated by the system that is supposed to deliver them justice.

[00:04:41]Praise law has already passed the judiciary committee unanimously and I want to thank senators Jillibrand and Britt and my colleagues on the entire judiciary committee for working on this legislation and helping us push this across the finish line. And with that, I yield the floor, Senator Britt.