AC 13.2024

Date: February 6, 2024

Memorandum to Federal Records Management Contacts: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records

This AC memo is to inform agency records managers about the recent law on federal records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).

Sections 1841-1843 of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 118-31) require NARA to establish the ‘‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection." The law also requires that by October 2024, each federal agency review, identify, and organize each UAP record in its custody for disclosure to the public and transmission to the National Archives.  

As one of the first steps, NARA will provide agencies with guidance on what information will be needed to create and manage this collection. The law directs NARA to create a standard form or finding aid for agency use in identifying and reviewing records in the new UAP collection.

NARA will provide this guidance as soon as possible. A preview of the type of metadata or information NARA will need is agency name, file identifiers, document title, date, originator, from, to, location, classification level, restrictions, and number of pages. We will need to know what records can be publicly disclosed and what records must be protected, in whole or in part.

To expedite the collection process, agencies should begin identifying all unidentified anomalous phenomena records as required by the law. Agencies should begin planning on how to create metadata and review these records.

NARA will provide further guidance and communications as we develop processes to identify records responsive to the Act as well as instructions for how to transfer responsive records to the National Archives. 

LAURENCE BREWER   
Chief Records Officer 
for the U.S. Government

CHRIS NAYLOR
Executive for Research Services