Office of Technology Assessment Improvement and Enhancement Act

To rename the Office of Technology Assessment as the Congressional Office of Technology, to revise the functions and duties of the Office, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Office of Technology Assessment Improvement and Enhancement Act 2. Renaming of Office of Technology Assessment as Congressional Office of Technology (a) Renaming Section 3(a) of the Technology Assessment Act of 1972 ( 2 U.S.C. 472(a) the Office of Technology Assessment the Congressional Office of Technology (b) Conforming amendment Section 5(a) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 474(a) Director of the Office of Technology Assessment Director of the Congressional Office of Technology (c) Clerical amendment The heading of section 3 of such Act is amended by striking Office of Technology Assessment Congressional Office of Technology (d) References in law Any reference in any law, rule, or regulation to the Office of Technology Assessment shall be deemed to be a reference to the Congressional Office of Technology. 3. Revision of functions and duties of Office (a) Basic functions and duties Section 3(c) of the Technology Assessment Act of 1972 ( 2 U.S.C. 472(c) (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting after the first sentence the following: This information should be provided as expeditiously, effectively, and efficiently as possible while maintaining a forward-looking, holistic, and rigorous approach to the assessment of the impacts of technology. (2) in paragraph (6), by striking completed analyses completed analyses, as well as preliminary findings of ongoing analyses, (3) by striking and (4) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and inserting a semicolon; and (5) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (9) provide information to Members and committees of Congress in the form of briefings, informal conversations, documents, and similar formats which may be provided expeditiously on the basis of existing research and staff expertise without the need for review by the Board; (10) provide technical assistance to Members of Congress on legislation related to science and technology which may be provided expeditiously on the basis of existing research and staff expertise without the need for review by the Board; and (11) when requested, provide objective policy options to Members of Congress on how the Members may achieve goals with respect to science and technology policy. . (b) Requirements for initiation of assessment activities Section 3(d) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 472(d) (d) (1) Assessment activities undertaken by the Office may be initiated upon the request of— (A) subject to paragraph (2), any Member of Congress (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress), any standing, special, or select committee of either House of Congress, or any joint committee of Congress; (B) the Board; or (C) the Director, in consultation with the Board. (2) (A) A Member of Congress or committee requesting that the Office undertake an assessment activity under paragraph (1)(A) shall submit the request to the Board, which shall review the request. (B) The Office shall determine whether or not to undertake an assessment activity in response to such a request in accordance with such policies and procedures as the Office shall establish, under which— (i) the Office may give priority to those requests which, in the Board’s determination, relate to technology issues of the greatest relevance and importance; (ii) to the greatest extent practicable, the Office shall ensure that the number of assessment activities undertaken during a year in response to requests which are submitted by members of one political party is equal to the number of assessment activities undertaken in response to requests which are submitted by members of another political party; and (iii) to the greatest extent practicable, the Office shall provide the Member of Congress or committee submitting the request with information regarding how the Office reached its determination in response to the request. . (c) Public availability of findings of completed analyses Section 3(e) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 472(e) may be made available to the public (and, in the case of findings of completed analyses, shall be made available to the public) (d) Authorizing appointment of technical and professional personnel on leave from academic, industrial, or research institutions Section 6(f) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 475(f) The Director may, under the authority provided by this subsection and in accordance with such policies as the Board chooses to prescribe, appoint for a limited term, or on a temporary basis, scientists, engineers, and other technical and professional personnel on leave of absence from academic, industrial, or research institutions to work for the Office. (e) Avoiding unnecessary duplication of research activities with other offices (1) Congressional Research Service Section 8 of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 477 (e) The Office and the Congressional Research Service shall coordinate technology assessment activities to avoid unnecessary duplication or overlapping of research activities. . (2) Government Accountability Office Section 9 of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 478 (e) The Office and the Government Accountability Office shall coordinate technology assessment activities to avoid unnecessary duplication or overlapping of research activities. . 4. Technology Assessment Board (a) Appointment of members of Board by Congressional leadership Section 4(a) of the Technology Assessment Act of 1972 ( 2 U.S.C. 473(a) (1) in paragraph (1), by striking appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate appointed jointly by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the Senate (2) in paragraph (2), by striking appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed jointly by the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives (b) Invitation to Members of Congress To attend annual meeting of Technology Assessment Board; annual report Section 4 of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 473 (e) At least once during each calendar year, the Board shall hold a meeting at which Members of Congress may appear and present information to the Board regarding any technology assessment activities the Members may wish the Board to undertake. (f) Not later than 90 days after the end of each calendar year, the Board shall submit to the Subcommittees on the Legislative Branch of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the activities of the Office during the year, and shall include in the report a description of the technology assessment activities undertaken by the Office during the year, including the number of requests received from Members and committees of Congress under section 3(d)(1)(A), the number and type of assessment activities undertaken in response to such requests, and the current status of such assessment activities. .

Summary: Office of Technology Assessment Improvement and Enhancement Act This bill renames and revises the functions and duties of the Office of Technology Assessment which, composed of a Technology Assessment Board and a director, provides Congress with assessments of probable technology application impacts. (The office has not been funded since FY1996.) Specifically, the bill renames the office the Congressional Office of Technology, and it requires the office to undertake additional duties, such as providing to Members of Congress (1) certain information without the need for board review, (2) certain technical assistance on legislation related to science and technology without the need for board review, and (3) objective policy options on how Members may achieve goals with respect to science and technology policy. The bill authorizes individual Members of Congress to submit to the board a request that the office undertake an assessment activity. Additionally, the bill requires the Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office to coordinate technology assessment activities with the office to avoid duplication or overlapping of research activities. The bill also (1) allows the office to temporarily appoint specified technical and professional personnel to work for the office, (2) requires the office to make the findings of completed analyses publicly available, (3) revises the appointment of board members, (4) requires the board to hold an annual meeting at which Members of Congress may appear and present information regarding technology assessment activities, and (5) requires the board to report annually on the activities of the office.