Congress Orders Deadline For Classified UFO Records' Public Release

Files on so-called unidentified anomalous phenomena could have their release postponed under some conditions, however.

Congress on Thursday passed a defense bill that requires the federal government to publicly release its records on UFOs, or what it calls “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” within 25 years so long as there’s no objection by the then-president.

The bill, which President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law, would see the records collected by the National Archives and Records Administration until their release, which would likely be around 2049.

That could be postponed by a future president if it’s determined that there would be an identifiable harm to the nation’s military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations. This harm must outweigh the public interest in disclosure, according to the legislation.

Examples include an intelligence agent who is identified in the records requiring identity protection, or the release interfering with the conduct of intelligence activities, the bill said. The same would apply if the release could “demonstrably and substantially impair” national security.

“This is a major, major win for government transparency on UAPs and it gives us a strong foundation for more action in the future,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has pushed for the declassification.