HB1187: HB1187 Trey's Law; enact

Currently, some settlement, employment, or other agreements in Georgia include nondisclosure or confidentiality clauses that can be used to prevent someone from talking about childhood sexual abuse. This bill amends Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-63) to declare that any such clause is void and unenforceable as a matter of public policy, to the extent it stops a person from disclosing an act of childhood sexual abuse or facts related to it. The bill still allows people to agree to keep other parts of a settlement confidential, such as the payment amount or terms. It also says the new rule applies to agreements signed before, on, or after the law takes effect, and that nobody can enforce a nondisclosure clause covering childhood sexual abuse unless a court issues a final, unappealable declaratory judgment saying the clause is enforceable. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.

• Voids and makes unenforceable any nondisclosure or confidentiality clause in an employment, settlement, or other agreement to the extent it blocks disclosure of childhood sexual abuse or related facts.
• Applies this rule retroactively, covering agreements signed before, on, or after the law's effective date, not just new ones.
• Preserves the ability of parties to keep other settlement terms confidential, such as the payment amount, even when abuse-related disclosure is protected.
• Requires anyone seeking to enforce such a nondisclosure clause to first get a final, non-appealable court declaratory judgment confirming it is enforceable.
• Gives the Act the short title 'Trey's Law' and sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse who signed or may sign settlement or employment agreements, employers and institutions that use nondisclosure clauses, attorneys negotiating such agreements, and Georgia courts that would rule on enforceability disputes.

People who experienced childhood sexual abuse and were bound by silence through a contract could now speak about the abuse itself, even under agreements signed years ago, while still being able to keep financial settlement terms private if they choose.

• Section 1 gives the Act the short title 'Trey's Law.'
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 9-11-63 to void nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions that prevent disclosure of childhood sexual abuse, as defined by O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.1(a) and (b).
• Subsection (a) clarifies that other confidential terms, like settlement amounts or payment terms, can still be kept private by agreement.
• Subsection (b) makes the change apply to agreements entered into before, on, or after the law's effective date.
• Subsection (c) bars enforcement of a nondisclosure provision covering abuse disclosure unless a final, unappealable court declaratory judgment finds it enforceable.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as approval by the Governor or the date the bill becomes law without his signature.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 448
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2026-04-02Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
8. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)

• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)
• Will Wade (R, HD-009)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Katie Dempsey (R, HD-013)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

   174 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #605

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #951

• childhood sexual abuse
• nondisclosure agreements
• survivor rights
• Georgia contract law