2 U.S.C. § 472 — Office of Technology Assessment

submitted 54 years ago by Pub. L. 92-484 to r/title-2-THE-CONGRESS · 407 words · no verdicts yet

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This law creates the Office of Technology Assessment to advise Congress. It studies how new technology affects people, both good and bad. A Technology Assessment Board sets its policies, and a Director runs its daily work.

(a) Creation -- This section creates the Office of Technology Assessment, called "the Office." It exists as part of the legislative branch of the government, and it answers to Congress. (b) Composition -- The Office has two parts: a Technology Assessment Board (called "the Board"), which sets the Office's policies, and a Director, who carries out those policies and runs the Office's day-to-day operations. (c) Functions and duties -- The Office's main job is to give Congress early warning about the likely good and bad effects of using new technology, and to gather other useful information. To do this, the Office must: (1) find the existing or likely effects of technology or technology programs; (2) figure out cause-and-effect links where it can; (3) identify different technical ways to carry out specific programs; (4) identify different programs that could reach the same goals; (5) estimate and compare the effects of these different methods and programs; (6) share its finished findings with the right people in Congress; (7) point out where more research or data collection is needed to support its findings; and (8) take on other related work that the officials named in subsection (d) direct. (d) Initiation of assessment activities -- The Office can start a study when asked by: (1) the chair of any standing, special, or select committee of the House or Senate, or of any joint committee -- acting alone or at the request of the top minority member or a majority of the committee; (2) the Board; or (3) the Director, after talking with the Board. (e) Availability of information -- The Office must share its finished studies, surveys, reports, and findings with the committee that requested them, and with other appropriate congressional committees. The Office may also release this information to the public, except when: (1) doing so would break security laws; or (2) the Board decides it should be withheld under one of the reasons listed in 5 U.S.C. § 552(b), the law that lets agencies withhold certain records from the public.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a) Creation

In accordance with the findings and declaration of purpose in section 471 of this title, there is hereby created the Office of Technology Assessment (hereinafter referred to as the “Office”) which shall be within and responsible to the legislative branch of the Government.

(b) Composition

The Office shall consist of a Technology Assessment Board (hereinafter referred to as the “Board”) which shall formulate and promulgate the policies of the Office, and a Director who shall carry out such policies and administer the operations of the Office.

The basic function of the Office shall be to provide early indications of the probable beneficial and adverse impacts of the applications of technology and to develop other coordinate information which may assist the Congress. In carrying out such function, the Office shall:

(1)

identify existing or probable impacts of technology or technological programs;

(2)

where possible, ascertain cause-and-effect relationships;

(3)

identify alternative technological methods of implementing specific programs;

(4)

identify alternative programs for achieving requisite goals;

(5)

make estimates and comparisons of the impacts of alternative methods and programs;

(6)

present findings of completed analyses to the appropriate legislative authorities;

(7)

identify areas where additional research or data collection is required to provide adequate support for the assessments and estimates described in paragraph (1) through (5) of this subsection; and

(8)

undertake such additional associated activities as the appropriate authorities specified under subsection (d) may direct.

(d) Initiation of assessment activities

Assessment activities undertaken by the Office may be initiated upon the request of:

(1)

the chairman of any standing, special, or select committee of either House of the Congress, or of any joint committee of the Congress, acting for himself or at the request of the ranking minority member or a majority of the committee members;

(2)

the Board; or

(3)

the Director, in consultation with the Board.

(e) Availability of information

Assessments made by the Office, including information, surveys, studies, reports, and findings related thereto, shall be made available to the initiating committee or other appropriate committees of the Congress. In addition, any such information, surveys, studies, reports, and findings produced by the Office may be made available to the public except where—

(1)

to do so would violate security statutes; or

(2)

the Board considers it necessary or advisable to withhold such information in accordance with one or more of the numbered paragraphs in section 552(b) of title 5.

Source credit: (Pub. L. 92–484, § 3, Oct. 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 797.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1972Enacted · Pub. L. 92-484 · 86 Stat. 797

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 92-484 on 1972-10-13.

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