UAP Disclosure Act

Bipartisan Senate legislation introduced in July 2023 aimed at compelling comprehensive disclosure of government information regarding unidentified aerial phenomena. The original bill, modeled after the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, proposed establishing a UAP Records Review Board with authority to collect, review, and declassify materials related to UAP encounters, crash retrievals, and reverse engineering programs dating back to 1945.

The initial draft included controversial provisions granting the federal government eminent domain authority over UAP-related materials held by private contractors, with just compensation requirements. Senators Chuck Schumer and Mike Rounds cited whistleblower testimony from David Grusch alleging government possession of non-human technology as justification for mandatory disclosure mechanisms. The legislation sought to overcome decades of classification and compartmentalization that allegedly prevented congressional oversight of UAP programs.

Opposition emerged from House Republicans and defense contractors, who successfully lobbied to weaken key provisions during conference committee negotiations. The final version, enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, established a UAP Records Collection and Review Board but removed eminent domain provisions and mandatory declassification timelines. While proponents hailed the legislation as historic progress toward UAP transparency, critics argued the final version lacked enforcement mechanisms necessary to compel disclosure from reluctant agencies and contractors.