The UAP Disclosure Act is law only in part, and the fuller version has not passed the Senate. Around it, the record from 2023 to 2026 is hearings, one law, an archive release and a run of Department of War file batches. It is not a record of confirmed contact. Every official report in it (AARO, NASA) found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology.
This file lists what happened, on which date, and who did it. Where a claim is often repeated wrong, it says so.
The timeline
- Sworn testimony in the House. David Grusch, David Fravor and Ryan Graves testify under oath before a House Oversight subcommittee. Their claims enter the public record. The hearing does not settle them. oversight.house.gov
- NASA’s study team reports. A panel of 16 outside experts asks for better data and real scientific method, and finds no evidence that UAP are extraterrestrial. nasa.gov
- The records law. The FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act becomes law. Sections 1841 to 1843 order agencies to send UAP records to a new UAP Records Collection at the National Archives. The review board and eminent domain powers in the Schumer and Rounds text were cut in conference. archives.gov
- AARO’s historical review. The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office publishes Volume 1 of its review of government UAP efforts since 1945. It finds no evidence that any sighting was extraterrestrial technology, or that the government reverse-engineered alien craft. aaro.mil
- A second House hearing. “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth” hears Tim Gallaudet, Luis Elizondo, Michael Gold and Michael Shellenberger. oversight.house.gov
- The National Archives releases records. UAP records sent by ODNI, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the FAA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission go public, as the 2023 law requires. archives.gov
- A whistleblower hearing. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets holds “Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection.” oversight.house.gov
- The President’s statement. In a social media post, the President says he is directing the Secretary of War and other agencies to identify and release UAP files. It was a public statement, not an executive order. nbcnews.com
- The first Department of War release. The Department of War, with ODNI support, publishes its first batch of declassified UAP files at war.gov/UFO under a program called PURSUE. It was not a National Archives event. npr.org
- May to Sep 2026More batches. Further Department of War batches follow on 22 May, 12 June, 10 July, 7 August and 18 September 2026. wikipedia.org
- AARO’s FY2025 report. Published months after its deadline, it logs 319 new reports and attributes every resolved case to ordinary causes. aaro.mil
- The House passes a fuller UAP Disclosure Act. The House adds Rep. Eric Burlison’s UAP Disclosure Act to its FY2027 defense bill. It would create an independent records review board and extend disclosure rules to contractors. It is not law: it still needs the Senate and conference. burlison.house.gov
What is the UAP Disclosure Act?
It began as a Senate amendment filed by Chuck Schumer and Mike Rounds in July 2023. It would have created an independent review board to decide which UAP records the public sees. Congress kept the records collection and cut the board.
That is why you will read both “the UAP Disclosure Act passed” and “it never passed.” Neither is quite right. A reduced version became law in December 2023. The fuller version has passed only the House, in July 2026.
What did the President order in February 2026?
He posted that he would direct the Secretary of War and other agencies to begin identifying and releasing government files on UAP. No executive order on UAP appears in the Federal Register, and reporting at the time described a social media statement, not a formal order.
What followed was real: the Department of War published its first batch of files on May 8, 2026, and kept releasing more through September.
What the record does not say
None of these documents confirm contact. AARO’s historical review and NASA’s study found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology, and AARO’s FY2025 report put every case it resolved down to ordinary causes.
What changed after 2023 is the venue. The question moved from late-night radio into sworn testimony, federal law, government archives and official releases. The question is now official. The answer is not.
How to read the next release
Civilian takeaway
- Track primary sources. Hearings, laws, agency reports and official releases beat clipped posts.
- Check the agency. The National Archives, the Department of War and AARO are different offices with different jobs. Many wrong headlines start by mixing them up.
- Separate claim from confirmation. A serious allegation deserves attention. It still needs evidence.
- Prepare locally. If a disclosure wave hits, your household and your information habits matter first.
Common questions
Did the President sign an executive order on UAP files?
No executive order on UAP was issued. In February 2026 the President said in a social media post that he was directing agencies to identify and release UAP files.
What was released on May 8, 2026?
The Department of War published its first batch of declassified UAP files at war.gov/UFO. It was not a National Archives release.
Do the released files confirm alien contact?
No. Every official report so far, including AARO’s and NASA’s, found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology.
See also The 2026 film shares the name but none of the facts: is Disclosure Day real? The February 2026 announcement was a Truth Social post, not a signed order: did Trump sign a UFO executive order? Every event on this page, and every one back to 1947, sits in the Disclosure Ledger with a verdict on what its source confirms. For the six Department of War releases one at a time, with what each held, see the PURSUE UFO files.
