Executive Director, Disclosure Foundation
The Department of Defense issued a formal waiver on September 14, 2026, providing targeted legal relief to past and present civilian personnel, service members, and contractors who wish to disclose UAP-related information to representatives of the Trump administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The waiver explicitly supersedes civil and administrative enforcement provisions in Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Special Access Program Indoctrination Agreements (SAPIAs) executed in the United States, authorizing covered disclosures to PURSUE representatives without triggering breach-of-agreement penalties or standard NDA violations. The action represents a significant policy development in the federal government's ongoing UAP transparency effort. PURSUE, which President Trump unveiled earlier in 2026, directs all federal agencies and military branches to aggregate internal UAP records for potential declassification and public dissemination. The waiver addresses longstanding concerns among potential whistleblowers — cited in the Pentagon's own press release — that legal liability, loss of clearances, or administrative prosecution under standard NDA and SAP indoctrination terms have historically prevented individuals from coming forward with UAP-related knowledge.