HB 748 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the enforceability of certain nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions with respect to an act of sexual abuse.

HB 748, known as Trey's Law, prohibits the enforcement of confidentiality clauses in agreements that prevent disclosure of sexual abuse. The bill makes any provision in settlement, employment, or other agreements that blocks someone from sharing details about sexual abuse (including the act itself, identity of victims/perpetrators, or related facts) void and unenforceable. However, it does not restrict confidentiality around other settlement terms, such as payment amounts. For agreements signed before the law's effective date (September 1, 2025), parties must first obtain a court declaration confirming the clause's enforceability to avoid being voided.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 5, 2025 Last action May 27, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 9, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was restructured and expanded to strengthen protections against nondisclosure agreements that prevent victims of child sexual abuse from reporting crimes. The new version clarifies definitions, broadens the scope of prohibited conduct, and adds specific enforcement mechanisms for pre-existing agreements.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly covers a wider range of sexual offenses against children and adds provisions for challenging existing agreements through court declarations.

DEFINITION

Added a clear definition of 'act of sexual abuse' listing specific penal laws including indecency with a child, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual performance by a child, trafficking of persons, and compelling prostitution.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a mechanism allowing individuals to challenge existing nondisclosure agreements through declaratory judgment proceedings if they were entered into before the law's effective date.

REQUIREMENT

Expanded the list of unenforceable provisions to explicitly prohibit any agreement that prevents disclosure of sexual abuse facts to any person, not just law enforcement agencies.

TIMELINE

Maintained the effective date of September 1, 2025, but added specific language about how the law applies to agreements entered into before, on, or after that date.

Floor votes · House Apr 8, 2025

How they voted

147–0

Passed

Total votes 147

Apr 8, 2025

D Democratic60

60 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican87

87 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

May 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendments

upper

May 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

May 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Left pending in committee

upper

May 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Testimony taken in committee

upper

May 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to State Affairs

upper

May 6, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

Apr 9, 2025

Introduced

Received from the House

upper

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed to engrossment as amended

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

Apr 8, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (147-0)

house

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

4 primary · 18 co-sponsors