Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements Law

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I rise today to share the story of a young man who didn't have the opportunity to share his own story.

His name was Trey Carlock, 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. So let me share Trey's story.

Trey was a young man who loved the Lord. 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, MO, where he and dozens of other campers were sexually assaulted by the camp director.

And as an adult, Trey sought accountability. 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.

But instead of justice, Trey was offered a settlement, and that settlement came with a nondisclosure agreement which mandated Trey's silence. After years of fighting to recover from abuse, Trey's settlement reminded him that his voice could be bought, that his story could be buried, that the price of compensation was silence.

Trey once told his therapist ``They will always control me, and I'll never be free.'' Not long after, Trey died by suicide. He was only 28 years old. 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. And no child should be forced to accept agreements that protect the abuser.

In Trey's case, and, tragically many others, nondisclosure agreements are used to shield the abuser. Children are the most vulnerable and most precious members of our society. As legislators, as parents, as human beings, we have a moral obligation to stand between children and those who would harm them. That is why I have introduced TREY'S Law.

TREY'S Law will protect, defend, and support children who are the victims of sexual assault. It ensures that nondisclosure agreements cannot be used to silence minors who have endured abuse. 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 abusers.

TREY'S Law establishes a clear national baseline: no NDA may be used to silence the disclosure of child sexual abuse. 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 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.

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.

TREY'S Law has already passed the Judiciary Committee unanimously, and I want to thank Senators Gillibrand and Britt and my colleagues on the entire Judiciary Committee for working on this legislation and helping us push this across the finish line.

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Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I thank Senator Britt for her kind remarks and for her passionate leadership fighting alongside me to get this passed.

If and when the Senate passes this, it will be a victory for Trey, a victory for his sister Elizabeth, who has been tirelessly fighting to honor the memory and legacy of her brother, a victory for the entire Carlock family, and a victory for kids who tragically have been the victims of sexual assault across the country.

After the Senate passes this, I hope the House takes this legislation up quickly, passes it, and puts it on the President's desk to be signed into law.

Mr. President, therefore, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 413, S. 3966.

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