Vermont UFO bill would create state investigation panel for sightings

A Vermont lawmaker is setting his sights on the skies with a new bill poised to create a UFO panel within the state. 

Rep. Troy Headrick (I-Burlington) has introduced legislation looking to set up the Vermont Airspace Safety and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force, according to the Vermont Digger. 

The bill reportedly proposes the creation of a state task force to investigate reports of both unidentified aerospace and underwater objects, assess safety risks regarding airspace, and work alongside federal partners and researchers to discover improved policies. 

The task force would be composed of officials from Vermont’s departments of transportation and public safety, while also opening up seats for lawmakers and experts on the topic.

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“I am not a subject matter expert at all,” Headrick said, the Vermont Digger reported. “As policymakers, I think we have an obligation to remain attentive to emerging trends [in public safety.” 

According to H.654, the panel would investigate reports of any unknown objects that exhibit “performance characteristics not consistent with currently understood technologies,” such as, “instantaneous acceleration absent observable inertia or hypersonic velocity without a corresponding thermal signature or sonic boom.” 

Headrick initially introduced the legislation at the request of a constituent, lobbyist Maggie Lenz, according to Seven Days Vermont.

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Lenz, owner of Atlas Government Affairs, reportedly became interested in the issue after a string of UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena, made headlines throughout New Jersey in 2024, sparking nationwide panic regarding countless mysterious flying objects. 

“I’m certainly not saying that it’s aliens,” Lenz said, according to Seven Days Vermont. “But I do think just having the conversation here in Vermont will begin to allow for it to be taken a little bit more seriously.”

The proposed legislation replicates the federal government’s response to UAPs in recent years, following Congress passing the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act in 2023 and the U.S. Department of War’s creation of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office.

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The draft bill indicates that Vermonters have reported UAP sightings to police in various instances, signaling a need for a coordinated response between state and federal officials. 

While speaking before Vermont’s House Government Operations Committee last week, Headrick offered a more down-to-earth reason behind the proposed bill – pointing to the surge of drones throughout the state. 

“The proliferation of drone use — this is where I see the need for data,” Headrick told the committee, the Vermont Digger reported.

Headrick did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

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While the proposed bill has yet to be voted on by the committee, Headrick reportedly tried to sweeten the deal by promising to look into Vermont’s famed sea monster if the legislation is passed. 

“For the cryptids fans in the room, there’s an underwater provision to this as well,” Headrick said, according to the Vermont Digger. “So if we want to investigate Champ, we can do that.”