Overview
The U.S. House on July 22, 2026 adopted Rep. Eric Burlison’s Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), marking a notable legislative step in the long-running push for greater transparency around UAP records. According to Burlison’s office, the measure would create a statutory framework for preserving, reviewing and publicly disclosing government-held UAP materials if it is ultimately enacted into law.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Burlison said, “The government belongs to the American people.” He added that “for too long, UAP records have remained scattered across agencies and outside meaningful oversight,” arguing that the amendment would establish an independent review process to preserve records, examine them and make them available to the public under law. The House action does not complete the process, however: the NDAA now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to retain, modify or reject the provision.
What the amendment would do
The measure would establish a permanent UAP Records Collection at the National Archives, creating a central repository for records that are currently dispersed across federal agencies, according to the press release. It would also require agencies to identify, organize, preserve and transmit covered UAP records under a statutory timeline, a procedural change intended to ensure materials are not lost, delayed or inconsistently managed.
A central feature of the proposal is the creation of an independent UAP Records Review Board, which would be Senate-confirmed and granted subpoena authority. Under the amendment, the board could review records, hear testimony and decide whether certain information should remain protected under standards established by law. That structure mirrors other historical disclosure frameworks used by the federal government to declassify sensitive materials while preserving national security exemptions.
The amendment would also extend disclosure obligations to covered government contractors, addressing an area that has frequently drawn attention in UAP discussions. Lawmakers and advocates have long noted that sensitive aerospace and defense-related records may sit outside traditional agency archives, making contractor access and retention practices a key issue in any comprehensive disclosure regime.
Broader disclosure context
Burlison’s office said the amendment would also support President Trump’s Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) by strengthening the legal authorities needed to carry out disclosure. While the press release did not provide operational details about PURSUE, the reference suggests the administration’s framework would rely on a formal records-preservation and review process similar to the one outlined in the amendment.
The House vote underscores how UAP transparency has moved further into mainstream legislative debate, with disclosure efforts increasingly being folded into must-pass defense policy legislation rather than treated as standalone proposals. Still, the amendment’s future remains uncertain until the Senate acts and any final NDAA language is reconciled between both chambers. For now, the House adoption represents a meaningful advance for lawmakers seeking a more structured and legally durable path toward UAP disclosure.
