The Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (UAPDA) has once again failed to make it into the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act, marking the third consecutive year that comprehensive UAP transparency legislation has been blocked or weakened.
The Amendment
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), together with Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), filed the "UAP Disclosure Act of 2025" as amendment SA 3111 to the FY2026 NDAA. The amendment was nearly identical to previous versions, including the provision granting an independent review board power of eminent domain over UAP-related materials held by private contractors.
The legislation was modeled on the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 and would mandate that government records related to UAP carry a presumption of disclosure.
What Happened
On October 9, 2025, the U.S. Senate finalized an agreement for the FY2026 NDAA that did not include the Schumer-Rounds UAP Disclosure Act. The UAPDA would therefore not be considered in the House-Senate conference committee, since the House had already passed its own version without UAP language.
Senator Rounds had suggested the provision was acceptable in the Senate but continued to face obstacles in the House. Yet this time, the language did not even appear in the Senate's version.
A Pattern of Obstruction
This continues a pattern that began in 2023, when the first version of the UAPDA passed the Senate only to be largely gutted during conference with the House. Senators Schumer and Rounds entered into a colloquy on the Senate floor expressing disappointment with House Republicans and pledged to continue pursuing the full legislation.
What Did Pass
The conferenced FY2026 NDAA does include a requirement for the Pentagon to brief lawmakers on operations since 2004 involving any UAP intercepts conducted by integrated military commands, particularly NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. This comes as these commands confront increasing reports of unexplained drone and UAP incursions near sensitive military installations.
The Road Ahead
Despite heightened public attention around allegations of UAP retrieval and reverse-engineering programs, recent momentum for major transparency measures has slowed. The failure of the UAPDA for a third time raises questions about whether legislative channels can deliver meaningful disclosure.