[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5231 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5231
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to
establish procedures and reporting requirements for incidents relating
to unidentified anomalous phenomena, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 9, 2025
Mr. Garcia of California (for himself, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Moskowitz, and
Mr. Ogles) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to
establish procedures and reporting requirements for incidents relating
to unidentified anomalous phenomena, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Airspace for Americans Act''.
SEC. 2. UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the enactment of
this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
shall--
(1) develop procedures to synchronize and standardize the
collection, reporting, and analysis of incidents, including
adverse physiological effects, or the disruption, interference,
or interaction with flight instruments, potentially caused by
an unidentified anomalous phenomena reported by civilian
aircrew, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, aviation
maintenance personnel, aviation dispatchers, air carriers or
operators, and airports;
(2) develop processes and procedures to ensure that such
incidents are reported and stored in an appropriate manner that
allows for the integration of analysis of such information;
(3) establish procedures to provide employees of the
Federal Aviation Administration the ability for timely and
consistent reporting of such incidents that could reasonably be
considered an unidentified anomalous phenomena;
(4) develop processes and procedures to ensure the timely
investigations of such incidents, including immediately
archiving information or data, including pilot-controller
communications as well as air traffic management system and
radar data, that could be used to aid in such investigations;
and
(5) evaluate the threat that such incidents present to the
safety of the national airspace system.
(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the requirements of this
section, the Administrator shall coordinate with the heads of other
departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as appropriate,
including the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National
Intelligence, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director of
the National Science Foundation, and the Secretary of Energy.
(c) All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office.--The Administrator shall
share the reports and all incident archived information and data
submitted under this section with the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution
Office of the Department of Defense.
(d) Prohibition Against Use of Reports for Enforcement Purposes.--
The Administrator may not use reports submitted under this section (or
information derived therefrom) in any enforcement action except
information concerning accidents or criminal offenses.
(e) Communications Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall produce and
implement a communications strategy to--
(1) engage the public and publicize the reporting process
described under subsection (a); and
(2) decrease stigma towards individuals submitting
information to the Administrator under this section.
(f) Reporting System.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall select whether
reports submitted under this section shall be received
through--
(A) the Aviation Safety Reporting Program in effect
as of the date of enactment of this Act; or
(B) a new and separate system similar to such
Program that is established to exclusively receive
report of potential unidentified anomalous phenomena.
(2) Consideration.--If the Administrator makes a selection
under paragraph (1)(A), not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall consider whether
to update the Aviation Safety Reporting Program reporting
intake system to improve the capture information regarding
whether a reported event could involve an unidentified
anomalous phenomenon, and, if so, a mechanism for including
description of the object subject to such report and the
apparent kinematics of such object.
(3) System requirement.--If the Administrator makes a
selection under paragraph (1)(B), the Administrator shall
ensure the system includes the ability to provide a description
of the object subject to such report and the apparent
kinematics of such object.
(4) Manner of submission.--The Administrator shall include
in the reporting system selected under this subsection the
ability to submit such a report via an electronic flight bag if
the Administrator determines that submitting via such flight
bag can be done--
(A) safely; and
(B) without compromising pilots' ability to aviate,
navigate and communicate.
(g) Protection of Medical Certificates.--The spotting, visual
witness, or reporting of unidentified anomalous phenomena shall not be
taken into account for the purposes of evaluation of mental standards
for issuing medical certificates for airmen and for remaining eligible
for a medical certificate under part 67 of title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(h) Protection of Airmen Certificates.--The spotting, visual
witness, or reporting of unidentified anomalous phenomena may not be
taken into account for the purposes of evaluation of competency for
issuing airmen certificates under section 44709 of title 49, United
States Code.
(i) Prohibition on Reprisals for Federal Employees and
Contractors.--An employee of a department or agency of the Federal
Government, or of a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, subgrantee, or
personal services contractor of such a department or agency, who has
authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any
personnel action, shall not, with respect to such authority, take or
fail to take, or threaten to take or fail to take, a personnel action,
including the revocation or suspension of security clearances, or
termination of employment, with respect to any individual as a reprisal
for spotting, visually witnessing or reporting of unidentified
anomalous phenomena.
(j) Prohibition on Reprisals for Employees of Air Carriers or
Commercial Operators.--An air carrier or commercial operator under part
119 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations shall not--
(1) take or fail to take, or threaten to take or fail to
take, a personnel action, or termination of employment, with
respect to any individual as a reprisal for spotting, visually
witnessing or reporting of unidentified anomalous phenomena to
the Administrator; or
(2) issue a cease and desist letter to any individual or
organization for spotting, visually witnessing, or reporting of
unidentified anomalous phenomena to the Administrator.
(k) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) all unidentified anomalous phenomena encounters by
aviation personnel should be reported, particularly when such
encounters involve a potential safety or national security
concern; and
(2) employers and governmental officials should take
actions to reduce the stigma of reporting unidentified
anomalous phenomena.
(l) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Unidentified anomalous phenomena.--The term
``unidentified anomalous phenomena'' means--
(A) an airborne object that is not immediately
identifiable;
(B) a transmedium object or device; and
(C) a submerged object or device that--
(i) is not immediately identifiable; and
(ii) displays behavior or performance
characteristics suggesting that the object or
device may be related to an object described in
subparagraph (A).
(2) Transmedium object or device.--The term ``transmedium
object or device'' means an object or device that is--
(A) observed to transition between space and the
atmosphere, or between the atmosphere and a body of
water; and
(B) not immediately identifiable.
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