Senator Mike Rounds Confirms UAP Disclosure Legislation Will Be Reintroduced

Senator Mike Rounds has confirmed that a renewed effort is underway in the United States to pass new laws aimed at increasing transparency around government records related to UFOs, now more commonly referred to as UAPs, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.

The South Dakota senator appeared on an episode of 'Reality Check with Ross Coulthart', where he discussed his continued commitment to the UAP Disclosure Act - a piece of legislation first introduced in 2023 alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Although a watered-down version was passed, the stronger original proposal failed to make it through the US House of Representatives.

Rounds told Ross Coulthart that he and Schumer intend to try again this year, adding that work on the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) - the annual defence budget bill in which the UAP proposals are embedded - will begin in the coming weeks.

Rounds told Ross Coulthart that he and Schumer intend to try again this year, confirming, "The answer is yes. We intend to move forward once again."

You can watch the full episode of Reality Check with Ross Coulthart featuring Senator Mike Rounds below.

The original version of the UAP Disclosure Act was a 64-page proposal that called for the creation of a dedicated review board, which would be appointed by the US President but operate independently. Its role would be to gather and evaluate any US government records related to unexplained aerial phenomena, with a "presumption of disclosure" - meaning the default position would be to release the material to the public, unless there was a compelling reason not to.

Crucially, the proposal included powers for the government to retrieve materials of "unknown origin" or connected to what it called "non-human intelligence" - a term used in the legislation to refer to anything potentially not of human origin, whether biological or technological.

Rounds explained that their approach was modelled on the declassification process used for the JFK assassination records. The aim, he said, was not to make bold claims about aliens, but to remove doubt and suspicion. "We just thought rather than beating around the bush, let's just say, look, if there's any of that out there, then let's disclose it."

Although the bill passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, it was blocked in the House of Representatives. Rounds believes the opposition, particularly from two senior House members, Mike Rogers and Mike Turner, came down to concerns over national defence.

He suspects the opposition from the House came down to concerns that full transparency could risk revealing US capabilities - or expose what the US knows about its adversaries. "If we know of other weapon systems by other countries," he said, "we may not want to disclose it."

Rounds says the political landscape has shifted slightly. Although Chuck Schumer is no longer Senate Majority Leader, there are changes in committee leadership and renewed appetite to revisit the legislation. Rounds also emphasised that the intention is not to reveal anything that could compromise defence systems, but to create a legal framework for collecting and evaluating information - including material currently held by private defence contractors.

A controversial element in the original bill was the inclusion of "eminent domain" powers. In US law, this means the government can seize private property for public use, with compensation. In the context of the UAP bill, this would allow the retrieval of any materials believed to be of unknown or non-human origin, even if held by private companies.

Rounds acknowledged this caused concern and may be revised, but said it was included to ensure such materials could be examined by the government if they existed.

Throughout the interview, Rounds was careful not to make bold claims. He reiterated several times that there is no smoking gun, and no clear evidence has been presented to him of alien craft or beings.

But he did say that reports of aerial objects with seemingly advanced capabilities continue to raise questions, and that there are sightings and data that even military and intelligence officials cannot explain.

Rounds also addressed the concerns of whistleblowers - people who've come forward with claims about secret retrieval programmes or reverse engineering efforts. He said he's spoken to individuals who claim to have first-hand knowledge of unusual materials, but hasn't seen anything that would confirm their origin or purpose. "There are things that we can't explain out there," he said, adding that this uncertainty was the reason he first took an interest in the issue.

He also expressed support for exploring stronger legal protections for whistleblowers, particularly those who may fear reprisals for speaking out.

Another recurring theme in the discussion was the idea that UFO reports, especially during the Cold War, may have been encouraged or exploited by the US government as a cover for classified aircraft projects. This includes spy planes like the SR-71 Blackbird and early stealth bombers, which were able to fly at extreme altitudes and speeds and often went unrecognised by conventional radar systems.

While Rounds acknowledged that many sightings - particularly in the Cold War era - could be attributed to secretive aircraft programmes, he doesn't think that explanation covers everything. "Some of those items that were recovered," he said, "may very well have been part of the development of our stealth technology that we utilise today."

Despite his caution, Rounds acknowledged the potential scale of what UAP evidence could mean if it ever did confirm non-human intelligence. "It would be one of the greatest announcements in the history of mankind," he said, "that we are not alone."

Until then, Rounds says his goal is simply to ensure that any credible information - whatever it turns out to be - is preserved and reviewed responsibly, without being lost, hidden, or ignored.