H.R. 1187, the UAP Transparency Act, was introduced by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-2) on February 11, 2025. The bill would require the President to direct every federal agency to declassify all records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and post them on each agency's public website. It was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the same day it was introduced.
What would this bill actually require?
The bill sets a 270-day deadline from the date it becomes law. By that point, the President must have directed every federal department or agency holding UAP records to declassify those records and make them publicly available on the agency's own website.
The bill also requires the President to send a progress report to two congressional committees within 360 days of enactment, and then every quarter after that. Those committees are the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
How does the bill define UAP?
The bill uses the definition from Section 1683 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. Under that definition, UAP covers three categories: airborne objects that cannot be immediately identified; submerged objects that cannot be immediately identified and that show characteristics suggesting a link to those airborne objects; and objects observed moving between space and the atmosphere, or between the atmosphere and bodies of water.
Who introduced the bill and where does it stand?
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District introduced the bill on February 11, 2025. As of that date, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is the next step before any floor consideration.