View all text of Subchapter IV [§ 3361 - § 3373b]
§ 3373. Establishment of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
(a) Establishment of Office
(1) In general
(2) Designation
(b) Director and Deputy Director of the Office
(1) Appointment of Director
(2) Appointment of Deputy Director
(3) Reporting
(A) In general
(B) Administrative and operational and security mattersThe Director of the Office shall report—
(i) to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security on all administrative matters of the Office; and
(ii) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence on all operational and security matters of the Office.
(c) DutiesThe duties of the Office shall include the following:
(1) Developing procedures to synchronize and standardize the collection, reporting, and analysis of incidents, including adverse physiological effects, regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena across the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, which shall be provided to the congressional defense committees, the congressional intelligence committees, and congressional leadership.
(2) Developing processes and procedures to ensure that such incidents from each component of the Department and each element of the intelligence community are reported and stored in an appropriate manner that allows for the integration of analysis of such information.
(3) Establishing procedures to require the timely and consistent reporting of such incidents.
(4) Evaluating links between unidentified anomalous phenomena and adversarial foreign governments, other foreign governments, or nonstate actors.
(5) Evaluating the threat that such incidents present to the United States.
(6) Coordinating with other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as appropriate, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy.
(7) As appropriate, and in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of National Intelligence, consulting with allies and partners of the United States to better assess the nature and extent of unidentified anomalous phenomena.
(8) Preparing reports for Congress, in both classified and unclassified form, including under subsection (j).
(d) Response to and field investigations of unidentified anomalous phenomena
(1) Designation
(2) Ability to respond
(e) Scientific, technological, and operational analyses of data on unidentified anomalous phenomena
(1) Designation
(2) Authority
(f) Data; intelligence collection
(1) Availability of data and reporting on unidentified anomalous phenomena
(A) Availability of data
(B) Reporting
(2) Intelligence collection and analysis plan
(3) Use of resources and capabilities
(g) Science planThe Director of the Office, on behalf of the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, shall supervise the development and execution of a science plan to develop and test, as practicable, scientific theories to—
(1) account for characteristics and performance of unidentified anomalous phenomena that exceed the known state of the art in science or technology, including in the areas of propulsion, aerodynamic control, signatures, structures, materials, sensors, countermeasures, weapons, electronics, and power generation; and
(2) provide the foundation for potential future investments to replicate or otherwise better understand any such advanced characteristics and performance.
(h) Assignment of priority
(i) Detailees from elements of the intelligence community
(j) Historical record report
(1) Report required
(A) In generalNot later than 540 days after December 23, 2022, the Director of the Office shall submit to the congressional defense committees, the congressional intelligence committees, and congressional leadership a written report detailing the historical record of the United States Government relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena, including—
(i) the records and documents of the intelligence community;
(ii) oral history interviews;
(iii) open source analysis;
(iv) interviews of current and former Government officials;
(v) classified and unclassified national archives including any records any third party obtained pursuant to section 552 of title 5; and
(vi) such other relevant historical sources as the Director of the Office considers appropriate.
(B) Other requirementsThe report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall—
(i) focus on the period beginning on January 1, 1945, and ending on the date on which the Director of the Office completes activities under this subsection; and
(ii) include a compilation and itemization of the key historical record of the involvement of the intelligence community with unidentified anomalous phenomena, including—(I) any program or activity that was protected by restricted access that has not been explicitly and clearly reported to Congress;(II) successful or unsuccessful efforts to identify and track unidentified anomalous phenomena; and(III) any efforts to obfuscate, manipulate public opinion, hide, or otherwise provide incorrect unclassified or classified information about unidentified anomalous phenomena or related activities.
(2) Access to records of the National Archives and Records Administration
(k) Annual reports
(1) Reports from All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
(A) Requirement
(B) ElementsEach report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include, with respect to the year covered by the report, the following information:
(i) All reported unidentified anomalous phenomena-related events that occurred during the one-year period.
(ii) All reported unidentified anomalous phenomena-related events that occurred during a period other than that one-year period but were not included in an earlier report.
(iii) An analysis of data and intelligence received through each reported unidentified anomalous phenomena-related event.
(iv) An analysis of data relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena collected through—(I) geospatial intelligence;(II) signals intelligence;(III) human intelligence; and(IV) measurement and signature intelligence.
(v) The number of reported incidents of unidentified anomalous phenomena over restricted airspace of the United States during the one-year period.
(vi) An analysis of such incidents identified under clause (v).
(vii) Identification of potential aerospace or other threats posed by unidentified anomalous phenomena to the national security of the United States.
(viii) An assessment of any activity regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena that can be attributed to one or more adversarial foreign governments.
(ix) Identification of any incidents or patterns regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena that indicate a potential adversarial foreign government may have achieved a breakthrough aerospace capability.
(x) An update on the coordination by the United States with allies and partners on efforts to track, understand, and address unidentified anomalous phenomena.
(xi) An update on any efforts underway on the ability to capture or exploit discovered unidentified anomalous phenomena.
(xii) An assessment of any health-related effects for individuals that have encountered unidentified anomalous phenomena.
(xiii) The number of reported incidents, and descriptions thereof, of unidentified anomalous phenomena associated with military nuclear assets, including strategic nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered ships and submarines.
(xiv) In consultation with the Administrator for Nuclear Security, the number of reported incidents, and descriptions thereof, of unidentified anomalous phenomena associated with facilities or assets associated with the production, transportation, or storage of nuclear weapons or components thereof.
(xv) In consultation with the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the number of reported incidents, and descriptions thereof, of unidentified anomalous phenomena or drones of unknown origin associated with nuclear power generating stations, nuclear fuel storage sites, or other sites or facilities regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
(xvi) The names of the line organizations that have been designated to perform the specific functions under subsections (d) and (e), and the specific functions for which each such line organization has been assigned primary responsibility.
(xvii) A summary of the reports received using the mechanism for authorized reporting established under section 3373b of this title.
(2) Form
(l) Semiannual briefings
(1) Requirement
(2) First briefing
(3) Subsequent briefings
(4) Instances in which data was not shared
(m) Task Force termination
(n) DefinitionsIn this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committeesThe term “appropriate congressional committees” means the following:
(A) The Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
(B) The Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
(C) The Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(D) The Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
(E) The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.
(F) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.
(2) Congressional defense committees
(3) Congressional intelligence committees
(4) Congressional leadershipThe term “congressional leadership” means—
(A) the majority leader of the Senate;
(B) the minority leader of the Senate;
(C) the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(D) the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
(5) Intelligence community
(6) Line organization
(7) Transmedium objects or devicesThe term “transmedium objects or devices” means objects or devices that are—
(A) observed to transition between space and the atmosphere, or between the atmosphere and bodies of water; and
(B) not immediately identifiable.
(8) Unidentified anomalous phenomenaThe term “unidentified anomalous phenomena” means—
(A) airborne objects that are not immediately identifiable;
(B) transmedium objects or devices; and
(C) submerged objects or devices that are not immediately identifiable and that display behavior or performance characteristics suggesting that the objects or devices may be related to the objects described in subparagraph (A).
(Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVI, § 1683, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2118; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title XVI, § 1673(c), div. F, title LXVIII, § 6802(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2961, 3586; Pub. L. 118–31, div. G, title III, § 7341, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 1062.)