A law that Missouri Lawmakers passed and Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law last year is now getting a push to be enacted at the federal level.

Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz announced the effort at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Among the people at the Press Conference was Elizabeth Phillips, whose brother Trey Carlock was a victim of sexual abuse by Pete Newman, who was a counselor at  Kanakuk Kamp in Branson. "Trey's Law" is named after Carlock, who had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as part of a settlement. Carlock suffered emotional distress as a result of the abuse and he took his own life in 2019. 

"Trey's Law" which was passed in Texas as well as Missouri in 2025, prevents the use of NDAs as a requirement in settling Child Sexual Abuse Cases as was the case with several of the victims from Kanakuk. 

Also at last week's press conference was Jayden Harris, who told her story on how "Trey's Law" protected her right to speak about her own abuse. Harris said she was pressured by representatives of her abuser, who she identified as Branson Entertainer Reza, as well as her own attorney to sign a NDA as part of the settlement. Harris said "Trey's Law" allowed her to tell her story. 

Last year, Ozarks Dynacom News and the Branson Tri-Lakes News reported on ongoing discussions as to the settlement of lawsuits filed against Reza Borchardt, who was accused by two minor teenage employees who were working with the show of inappropriate conduct by Borchardt. That agreement was reached in late August. 

Click here for a link to a Video Podcast recap of the introduction of the federal law including the statements by Jayden Harris.