Here is an important clarification regarding the 25-year rule and the Review Board in the UAPDA: At least 8 alleged UFO crash retrievals would be immediately declassified if UAPDA (as written) becomes law, unless explicitly blocked by Biden. The provision in the UAPDA regarding UAP records older than 25 years operates under a presumption of automatic declassification, but it’s important to clarify the process and the role of the Review Board and the President in this context. Presumption of Release: Records older than 25 years are presumed to be declassified automatically. This means that, in principle, once any UAP record reaches the 25-year mark, it will be declassified without requiring a specific approval process by the review board. This means all UAP records before 1998 would carry this presumption on Day 1. Immediate Action: The UAPDA mandates that within 180 days of its enactment, certain actions must be initiated. This includes the process of declassifying relevant UAP records and establishing procedures for further disclosures. Scope: This deadline applies to a wide array of UAP records, including recent ones. The objective is to start the declassification process promptly, ensuring timely public access to significant UAP information. The “No Later Than 25 Years” Rule: This rule states that UAP records are to be automatically declassified no later than 25 years after their creation, unless specifically withheld by the President. Misconception Clarified: It's important to note that this rule does not imply that new UAP records will be kept secret for 25 years. Rather, it sets a maximum limit on the secrecy of records. The intent is to prevent indefinite classification and ensure that all records are eventually reviewed for potential declassification. Immediate vs. Long-Term Declassification: While the 180-day deadline kickstarts the process of making UAP information available as soon as possible, the 25-year rule acts as a long-term safeguard, ensuring that no record remains classified indefinitely. For advocates who still think that is too long, all that needs to change is to simply make that deadline earlier. Continuous Process: The process of declassifying UAP records is ongoing. New records created post-enactment of the UAPDA will be subject to review and potential declassification well before the 25-year mark, in line with the act's provisions and the discretion of the independent review board. Role of the Review Board: The independent review board established by the UAPDA primarily oversees the declassification process for newer records and ensures compliance with the act's mandates. For records older than 25 years, the board's role would involve ensuring these records are identified and processed into the National Archives according to the automatic declassification rule. Presidential Exception Clause: The President retains the authority to prevent the declassification of specific records, even if they are older than 25 years. (This is how executive authority related to declassification already operates in the current paradigm so this is not a UAPDA-specific issue. The Classification Reform Act which is also a part of this year's NDAA attempts to address this.) Process: If the President determines that the release of a specific UAP record older than 25 years would compromise national security, they can certify that this record should remain classified, thereby overriding the automatic declassification rule. In summary, the UAPDA sets a framework for UAP records older than 25 years to be automatically declassified on Day 1, this process is subject to a significant exception: the President's authority to withhold declassification on grounds of national security. The review board’s primary function is the oversight of ongoing declassification processes and ensuring compliance with the act, rather than approving the release of these older records, which are presumed to be released unless specifically withheld by the President.