The UAP Disclosure Act, modeled on the JFK Records Collection Act of 1992, would mandate that all government records related to unidentified aerial phenomena be transferred to a presidentially-appointed review board and made public unless a specific national security exemption is granted.
In an interview with The Hill in September 2024, Christopher Mellon offered his most detailed public assessment of the legislation's political prospects.
"The votes are there in the House," Mellon said. "The problem is procedural, not political. Leadership has not brought it to the floor."
Mellon described a pattern in which the legislation passed committee with bipartisan support, then stalled before floor votes due to opposition from members who did not want sensitive program information surfaced through a civilian review process.
He also discussed his work with the newly formed UAP Caucus in the House, a bipartisan group committed to prioritizing UAP oversight legislation.