Summary

Republican U.S. Senator from South Dakota and co-author of the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023 — the most ambitious legislative attempt to compel government UAP transparency since the 1960s. A former two-term governor and state senate majority leader, Rounds brought bipartisan credibility and Armed Services Committee access to the disclosure legislation he introduced alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in July 2023. His willingness to co-sponsor a bill that would have created a presidentially-appointed UAP Records Review Board with authority to declassify retrieved materials — including alleged non-human craft and biologics — signaled that classified UAP briefings had persuaded a mainstream conservative Republican senator to treat the disclosure question as a genuine national security priority.

Roles

• -U.S. Senator (R-SD), 2015-present
• -Governor of South Dakota, 2003-2011
• -South Dakota State Senate Majority Leader, 1995-2001
• -Co-Author, UAP Disclosure Act of 2023

Organizations

Education

• -B.S., Political Science, South Dakota State University, 1977

Early Career

• -Founded Rounds Family Insurance in Pierre, South Dakota, building a successful insurance and real estate business from 1977 through his entry into full-time elected office
• -Elected to the South Dakota State Senate in 1991, representing the Pierre area; served through 2001 and rose to Senate Majority Leader from 1995 to 2001
• -Elected Governor of South Dakota in November 2002, serving two full terms (2003-2011); focused on economic development, workforce initiatives, and state fiscal stability
• -Elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2014, taking office in January 2015; re-elected in 2020 to a second Senate term