Connecticut lawmakers are considering a bill that would direct the University of Connecticut to partner with state agencies to study unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs. The proposal, H.B. 5422, received a public hearing this week and has drawn bipartisan support.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Joe Hoxha, R-Bristol, said the goal is to create a dedicated state program to record, study, and collect data on UAPs observed in Connecticut skies. “The topic is finally starting to be taken seriously, starting with the federal government,” Hoxha told the Connecticut Mirror.
The measure has a cosponsor across the aisle: Rep. Aundre Bumgardner, D-Groton. Bumgardner, whose district includes a town that builds submarines for the U.S. Navy, emphasized the need to understand UAPs, including whether they might originate from adversaries.
Similar legislation has already passed in New Jersey. That law, which went into effect in January, establishes a center to study UAPs in collaboration with higher education institutions.
Supporters testified that UAP activity crosses state and international borders and warrants scientific and policy attention. “A lot of students and faculty are interested in this topic,” said Sri Tata, a Yale PhD student. “Establishing a scientific study for both public policy, for our scientific curiosity and for public reporting mechanisms would be important.”
Rep. Martin Foncello, R-Brookfield, added that he knows a colleague at the U.S. Department of Defense who investigates UAPs and that he has seen unexplained aerial phenomena in recent days. “I’d like to work with” Tata on developing the bill further, Foncello said.
The U.S. Department of Defense created the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in July 2022 to serve as the authoritative office for UAP-related activities. A 2024 AARO report, however, found no evidence of alien technology in any UAP sighting.
Hoxha said he wants the research to focus on objective scientific inquiry, not “a club for crazy and wacky conspiracy theories.” He also framed the potential expense as worthwhile, comparing it to recent state budget earmarks he described as frivolous. “This is light years, no pun intended, more important than giving $50,000 to Jeep enthusiasts or, you know, festivals and things like that,” he said.