Jan. 11 (UPI) — A bipartisan pair of lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would provide legal protection to civilian pilots who report UAP sightings.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. and Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., introduced the Safe Airspace for Americans Act, which aims to facilitate reporting of the unidentified aerial phenomena formerly called UFOs and to increase transparency of the reports coming into government.
“UAP reporting is critical to our national security and transparency,” Garcia said on social media. “It would facilitate reporting of UAPs by civilian aviation personnel.”
The bill encourages pilots to report UAPs and directs the Federal Aviation Administration to develop procedures to standardize and synchronize reporting of UAP sightings.
It also requires the FAA to “evaluate the threat that such incidents present to the safety of the national airspace system.”
“This bill will increase transparency from the Department of Defense, enhance our national security, and better protect the American people,” Grothman wrote.
If the bill passes it would smooth the way for civilian aircrew, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, aviation maintenance personnel, aviation dispatchers, air carriers or operators, and airports to freely report any UAPs they spot.
The bill prohibits the FAA from using information in the UAP reports for any enforcement purposes beyond accidents or crimes.
That could reassure pilots and other airline employees who report what they see from worrying about impacts on their pilot licenses by preventing personnel from being medically disqualified for making UAP reports, and prohibit airlines from retaliating against workers who report sightings.
Grothman cited testimony before the House in July, which he said brought up substantial questions surrounding UAP that necessitate more transparent reporting.
“Following Congressional testimony from military pilots who witnessed these phenomena, the Safe Airspace for Americans Act is a crucial initiative that empowers those on the frontline of our skies to contribute valuable intelligence regarding UAP sightings that can help ensure that potential threats are thoroughly investigated,” he said.
The bill would also require the FAA to coordinate with 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 14 Foundation, and the Secretary of Energy in carrying out the UAP reporting requirements.
Americans for Safe Aerospace, headed by former Navy fighter pilot Ryan Graves, endorsed the bill.
“We believe this legislation is a historic step forward for ending UAP stigma against pilots and a pragmatic step for improving aviation safety and helping to close our domain awareness gap in the gray zone between 40,000 feet and space,” it said.
