Source: missouriindependent.com 4/22/25
Legislation that would void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases received unanimous approval from Missouri’s House on Tuesday afternoon.
The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz from Branson, now heads to the Missouri Senate.
Non-disclosure agreements are “legal mechanisms that were created to protect trade secrets, not trauma secrets,” Seitz said last week during House debate.
“We must clarify the law on use of the NDAs in civil child sexual abuse settlements, so that survivors of such horrors who already feel shamed and silenced are also not legally silenced and intimidated,” Seitz said.
Seitz called NDAs “an injustice and a wrong that we can make right now.”
The legislation applies to any legal action starting Aug. 28 of this year, when the law would take effect. It makes NDAs in childhood sexual abuse cases unenforceable.
Seitz said while the bill “cannot fix the horrific events leading up to signing an NDA, it can prevent the silencing of child crime victims in the future, and would certainly make Missouri safer for all.”
State Rep. Raychel Proudie, a Democrat from Ferguson, said Tuesday: “We should not be protecting the business interests of perverts, of people who hurt children.”
I don’t understand this. Are NDAs really so common in Missouri child sex abuse cases that it’s even worth making special legislation to address them?? 🤷🏻♂️