Amendments
2025—Subsec. (f)(1)(A). [Pub. L. 119–60, § 1672(b)], amended subpar. (A) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall ensure that each element of the intelligence community with data relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena makes such data available immediately to the Office.”
Subsec. (l)(5). [Pub. L. 119–60, § 1671(a)], added par. (5).
2023—Subsec. (k)(1). [Pub. L. 118–31, § 7341(1)], substituted “All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office” for “Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of Defense” in heading.
Subsec. (k)(1)(A). [Pub. L. 118–31, § 7341(2)], substituted “Director of the Office shall” for “Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly”.
2022—[Pub. L. 117–263, § 6802(a)], amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section established an office, organizational structure, and authorities to address unidentified anomalous phenomena.
[Pub. L. 117–263, § 1673(c)(1)], substituted “anomalous” for “aerial” wherever appearing.
Subsec. (h)(1). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 1673(c)(2)(A)], inserted “and the congressional leadership” after “appropriate congressional committees”.
Subsec. (h)(2)(Q). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 1673(c)(2)(B)], added subpar. (Q).
Subsec. (l)(2) to (6). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 1673(c)(3)], added par. (2) and redesignated former pars. (2) to (5) as (3) to (6), respectively.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
First Briefing
[Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVI, § 1671(b)], Dec. 18, 2025, [139 Stat. 1202], provided that: “Notwithstanding paragraph (5) of such section [50 U.S.C. 3373(l)], as added by subsection (a), for the first briefing provided under such section after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025], the briefing shall include details on any unidentified anomalous phenomena intercepts conducted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command or the United States Northern Command not previously provided that occurred during the period beginning on January 1, 2004, and ending on the last day of the period otherwise covered by the briefing.”
Accounting of Security Classification Guides Relating to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena
[Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVI, § 1673(a)], Dec. 18, 2025, [139 Stat. 1202], provided that: “Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025], the Director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office—“(1)
shall make an accounting of security classification guides that apply to information used for reports and investigations of unidentified anomalous phenomena; and
“(2)
may issue a consolidated security classification matrix for programs relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena to provide a resource for programs that support or may be affected by investigations relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena.”
Liaison With Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Task Force
[Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title X, § 1089], Dec. 23, 2024, [138 Stat. 2081], provided that:“(a)
Liaison Required.—
The Director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office of the Department of Defense shall designate one or more employees of the Office to act as a liaison with the Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Task Force established under section 925 [of Pub. L. 118—159,
10 U.S.C. 130i note] to improve coordination of efforts and support enabling capabilities of mutual benefit.
“(b)
Responsibilities.—
An individual designated as a liaison under subsection (a) shall have the following responsibilities:
“(1)
Conducting information sharing between the Office and the Task Force on identified or suspected Unmanned Aerial Systems events, including incident reporting, incident responses, and data on technical characterization of the known or suspected threats.
“(2)
Coordinating the development of technical capabilities for sensing and response to threats.
“(3)
Developing coordinated tactics, techniques, and procedures for incident response.”
Limitation Regarding Independent Research and Development
[Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVI, § 1687(b)], (c), Dec. 22, 2023, [137 Stat. 621], provided that:“(b)
Limitation Regarding Independent Research and Development.—
Consistent with Department of Defense Instruction Number 3204.01 (dated August 20, 2014, incorporating change 2, dated July 9, 2020; relating to Department policy for oversight of independent research and development), independent research and development funding relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena shall not be allowable as indirect expenses for purposes of contracts covered by such instruction, unless such material and information is made available the appropriate congressional committees and congressional leadership.
“(c)
Definitions.—
In this section:
“(1)
The term ‘appropriate congressional committees’ means—
“(A)
the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives]; and
“(B)
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
“(2)
The 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.
“(3)
The term ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena’ has the meaning given such term in section 1683(n) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (
50 U.S.C. 3373(n)), as amended by section 6802(a) of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 ([div. F of]
[Public Law 117–263]).”
Comptroller General of the United States Audits and Briefings on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Historical Record Report
[Pub. L. 117–263, div. F, title LXVIII, § 6803], Dec. 23, 2022, [136 Stat. 3594], as amended by [Pub. L. 118–159, div. F, title LXVIII, § 6802], Dec. 23, 2024, [138 Stat. 2516], provided that:“(a)
Definitions.—
In this section, the terms ‘congressional leadership’ and ‘Office’ have the meanings given such terms in section 1683 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (
50 U.S.C. 3373), as amended by section 6802.
“(b)
Audit.—
“(1)
In general.—
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [
Dec. 23, 2022], the Comptroller General of the United States shall identify appropriately cleared personnel of the Government Accountability Office to audit the historical record report process described in section 1683 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (
50 U.S.C. 3373), as amended by section 6802, including personnel to conduct work on-site as appropriate.
“(2)
Provision of information.—
On a quarterly basis until the date that is 90 days after the delivery of the final volume of the Historical Record Report, and as appropriate and consistent with Government Auditing Standards, the Comptroller General of the United States shall provide the Office with information on the findings of any audits conducted by the personnel identified under paragraph (1).
“(c)
Verbal Briefings.—
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter until the date that is 180 days after the delivery of the final volume of the Historical Record Report, the Comptroller General of the United States shall verbally brief the congressional intelligence committees, the congressional defense committees, and congressional leadership on the progress of the Office with respect to the historical record report described in section 1683 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (
50 U.S.C. 3373), as amended by section 6802, and compliance with legislative requirements.
“(d)
Rule of Construction.—
Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict access of a committee of Congress under
section 719(f) of title 31, United States Code, to an audit under subsection (b).”
[For definition of “congressional intelligence committees” as used in [section 6803 of Pub. L. 117–263], set out above, see [section 6002 of Pub. L. 117–263], set out as a note under section 3003 of this title.]