Bill Text: TX SB835 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the enforceability of certain nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions with respect to an act of sexual abuse.
Sponsorship: Broadly Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2025-06-20 - Effective on 9/1/25 [SB835 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB835-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 835 | ||
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| relating to the enforceability of certain nondisclosure or | ||
| confidentiality provisions with respect to an act of sexual abuse. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as Trey's Law. | ||
| SECTION 2. Title 6, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Chapter 129C to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 129C. AGREEMENTS PROHIBITING DISCLOSURES REGARDING SEXUAL | ||
| ABUSE | ||
| Sec. 129C.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "act of sexual | ||
| abuse" means conduct described by: | ||
| (1) Section 261.001(1)(E), (F), (G), (H), (K), or (L), | ||
| Family Code; or | ||
| (2) one or more of the following penal laws: | ||
| (A) indecency with a child under Section 21.11, | ||
| Penal Code; | ||
| (B) sexual assault under Section 22.011, Penal | ||
| Code; | ||
| (C) aggravated sexual assault under Section | ||
| 22.021, Penal Code; | ||
| (D) sexual performance by a child under Section | ||
| 43.25, Penal Code; | ||
| (E) trafficking of persons under Section | ||
| 20A.02(a)(3), (4), (7), or (8), Penal Code; and | ||
| (F) compelling prostitution under Section 43.05, | ||
| Penal Code. | ||
| Sec. 129C.002. CERTAIN PROVISIONS UNENFORCEABLE. Any | ||
| provision of a nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement or | ||
| nondisclosure or confidentiality provision of an employment | ||
| agreement, settlement agreement, or any other agreement is void and | ||
| unenforceable as against the public policy of this state to the | ||
| extent the provision prohibits a person, including a party, from | ||
| disclosing an act of sexual abuse or facts related to an act of | ||
| sexual abuse to any other person. Nothing in this section may be | ||
| construed to prohibit a person, including a party, from agreeing to | ||
| keep confidential any other provision of a settlement agreement, | ||
| including the amount or payment terms of a settlement. | ||
| SECTION 3. (a) Subject to Subsection (b) of this section, | ||
| the change in law made by this Act applies to an agreement entered | ||
| into before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| (b) A person, including a party, may not enforce or attempt | ||
| to enforce an agreement or a provision of an agreement described by | ||
| Section 129C.002, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, entered into before the effective date of this Act unless | ||
| the person obtains a declaratory judgment under Chapter 37, Civil | ||
| Practice and Remedies Code, that is final and not subject to appeal | ||
| and declares that the agreement or provision is enforceable. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 835 passed the Senate on | ||
| May 15, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 835 passed the House on | ||
| May 26, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, one | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
