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Baptist News Global [Jacksonville FL]
February 13, 2026
By Mallory Challis
This week, sexual abuse survivors and survivor-advocates testified in front of legislative panels in Georgia, Kansas and Missouri, supporting passage of state versions of Trey’s Law bills that impact sexual abuse cases.
These and other applications of Trey’s Law are named for Trey Carlock, a child sexual abuse survivor who died by suicide in 2019 after being muzzled by a nondisclosure agreement, or NDA.
Monday, witnesses testified in front of the Georgia House Judiciary Committee in a public hearing for HB 1187, the state’s version of Trey’s Law. Thursday, a group testified in front of the Kansas House Committee on Judiciary for HB 2688, which is another version of Trey’s Law.
Between these two hearings on Wednesday, another group testified in front of the Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee in a public hearing for SJR 93 and SB 1140, which aim to amend the civil statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases.
Georgia
After Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp announced it as a top priority in their State of the State address last month, Rep. Soo Hong filed the Georgia legislation.
If passed, the public safety bill would eliminate the use of NDAs in childhood sexual abuse cases, as do all other versions of Trey’s Law. Additionally, it would extend the statute of limitations in these cases, allowing survivors more time to initiate legal action against responsible parties.
Numerous survivors and advocates testified in support of the legislation, including Elizabeth Phillips, founder of Trey’s Law, as well as abuse advocate and whistleblower Ruth Malhotra, survivor and advocate Hayle Swinson and Cindy Clemishire, survivor of abuse by Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.
“I’m grateful to Georgia for prioritizing victims’ voices by holding this hearing for Trey’s Law,” said Phillips, older sister of Trey Carlock, who was a victim of child sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps. His settlement agreement included a restrictive NDA that she claims led to his suicide at age 28.
“… my hope is that this bill’s ultimate passage emphasizes to bad actors the strong message that a victim’s silence is no longer for sale in the state of Georgia.”
“After enduring horrific abuse, Trey’s voice was stolen from him by a standard practice of personal injury law that should no longer be legal as a matter of public safety,” Phillips said. “We are calling on lawmakers to follow other states in passing Trey’s Law — and my hope is that this bill’s ultimate passage emphasizes to bad actors the strong message that a victim’s silence is no longer for sale in the state of Georgia.”
“I have learned from painful experience that it takes a system to conceal and enable abusive behavior,” Malhotra added. “When institutions choose to protect culpable people in power rather than caring for those who have been harmed, NDAs are often weaponized in ways that further marginalize survivors — inhibiting healing and preventing accountability.”
Malhotra was a key whistleblower in the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries abuse crisis in 2021.
“I’m grateful to testify in support of Trey’s Law and stand alongside other survivors as we seek to make Georgia a safer place for all who are vulnerable to abuses of power in our institutions,” said Swinson, an abuse survivor and Georgia resident. “This legislation represents a critical step toward accountability and ensuring that survivors are no longer silenced by the very systems meant to protect them.”
Missouri
The Missouri bills, SB 1140 and SJR 93, both filed by Sen. Brad Hudson, seek to reform the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse and trafficking victims in Missouri. If passed, SB1140 would remove the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases.
Likewise, SJR 93 would propose a constitutional amendment to Missouri voters to narrowly amend the state’s constitution to allow for the legislature to enact retroactive laws specifically as they pertain to civil child sexual abuse and trafficking cases. This would allow adult survivors of abuse who have aged out of the state’s statute of limitations to seek civil justice.
Currently, Missouri law only allows survivors of child sexual abuse to sue their perpetrator up to age 31, or within three years of discovering any injuries related to the abuse, and up to age 26 to file against any liable institutions.
Advocates for statute of limitation reform say this leaves many survivors without legal recourse once they’re ready to pursue justice. This is because research about delayed disclosure for survivors of child sexual abuse has shown many survivors do not disclose their experiences until their 50s and 60s. A large number of survivors never disclose.
In support of the bills, survivors and family members of those abused at Kanakuk Kamps, IHOP KC, Boy Scouts of America and other contexts testified.
Among them was Kanakuk abuse survivor Logan Yandell, who has been engaging in litigation against Kanakuk Kamps for years. His case, which had already been refiled in the appeals court, has been once again dismissed due to debates about how Missouri’s statute of limitations applies in his case.
In his testimony, Yandell explained this legislation “reflects how trauma actually works.”
And while SB 1140 is an important protection for future survivors, he noted it “does not help survivors whose claims are already time-barred — and that includes me. My own civil case was recently dismissed by the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District. It was not dismissed because evidence was weighed or facts were rejected. The court never reached the merits at all. It was dismissed for one reason only: Missouri law does not allow retroactive civil remedies for childhood sexual abuse claims.”
He later concluded, “SB 1140 ensures future survivors are not placed in this position. SJR 93 acknowledges that many survivors already are.”
Phillips also was among those who testified in support of the legislation. In addition to her work lobbying for Trey’s Law, this is her fourth session advocating for statute of limitation reform. Trey was abused by Kanakuk director, Pete Newman — the same person who abused Yandell — then forced by civil statutes of limitation to file his case before he was ready.
Kathryn Robb, national director of the Children’s Justice Campaign at ENOUGH ABUSE, also expressed her full support of the legislation. “By eliminating these restrictive deadlines, SJR 93 and SB 1140 will finally ensure that the passage of time is no longer a reward for abusers. This legislation is a critical step toward honoring a survivor’s right to access our civil courts and exposing hidden dangers in our communities.”
Following the testimonials, SJR 93 was voted Do Pass by the committee. Updates on SB 1140 are still forthcoming.
Kansas
Representatives Lauren Bohi, Laura Williams, Bradley Barrett and Bob Lewis filed Kansas’s version of Trey’s Law, HB 2688
If passed, it would make NDAs unenforceable in child sexual abuse and trafficking cases, both in the future and retroactively. The bill also stipulates that certain agreements, if decided by a court to remain in effect, will not be nullified.
Phillips, along with other survivors and advocates, testified in support of the legislation.
“It’s so encouraging that Kansas is joining in our small movement to end the weaponization of NDAs against children who have already endured the unimaginable.”
“It’s so encouraging that Kansas is joining in our small movement to end the weaponization of NDAs against children who have already endured the unimaginable,” Phillips said. “Survivors should never be forced to sign away their voices. … Lawmakers must bring an end to the ongoing abuse of the system.”
She later urged: “We are asking that you join this national movement to end the misuse of NDAs … by doing that, you will honor Trey’s life and legacy. You will bring darkness to light. You will give victims their voices back.”
Robb also testified, calling NDAs an “additional burden and danger” for children because they protect sexual predators and silence vulnerable survivors. “NDAs for childhood sexual abuse are contrary to sound public policy and they’re dangerous for children.”
Ben Marquez, a Kansas-based Presbyterian minister, also supported the bill. He called upon personal experiences where others attempted to use an NDA against him to silence survivors in his church.
Marquez was fired from his church for trying to maintain transparency while dealing with controversial issues in the church. He was later handed an NDA, which he refused to sign. Later, multiple sexual abuse survivors he was previously unaware of came forward — and Marquez was able to speak publicly and demand the church take accountability.
On children who have been silenced, he concluded, “They are precious little ones who were created in the image of God who created them, so may God have mercy on them.”
Tyson Stuart, one of the survivors Marquez referenced in his story, also testified. “I don’t think Jesus ever preached about silencing victims,” he said.
In support of the bill, he urged: “Protect future victims from living in a world where they have to decide between restitution and having a voice. You can help us all heal by passing this bill.”