H.R. 8197: To terminate the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

This bill aims to terminate the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) of the Department of Defense (DoD) and includes various related provisions. Here is a detailed summary of what the bill proposes:

Termination of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office

The main purpose of the bill is to:

1. Terminate the AARO: Within 60 days of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Defense is required to close the AARO.
2. Transfer Functions: The duties and responsibilities of the AARO will be reassigned to other parts of the Department of Defense as determined appropriate by the Secretary of Defense.
3. Prohibit New Entities: The Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence are prohibited from creating any new office or similar entity that would have centralized authority over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
4. Repeal Relevant Legislation: The bill repeals Section 1683 from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, which related to the functions of the AARO.

Conforming Amendments

The bill includes several amendments to ensure consistency with its provisions:

1. Repeal of Security Classification Guides: It aims to repeal a section from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 that pertains to accounting for security classification guides.
2. Record Management Changes: It amends the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 to remove references to the AARO in records management, resulting in the Secretary of Defense taking on these responsibilities instead of the Office.
3. Adjustments to National Archives Regulations: Changes will be made to a section from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 to remove references to the AARO in the context of the National Archives.

Effective Date

The amendments mandated by this bill will go into effect 60 days after the bill is enacted.

Definitions

The bill also clarifies certain terms:

1. Transmedium Objects or Devices: These are defined as objects that can move between space, the atmosphere, and bodies of water and are not immediately identifiable.
2. Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP): This term covers airborne objects that are not recognizable, transmedium objects, and submerged objects that display unfamiliar behavior or performance.

Relevant Companies

None found.