2 U.S.C. § 472 : US Code - Section 472: Office of Technology Assessment

Search 2 U.S.C. § 472 : US Code - Section 472: Office of Technology Assessment

(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.
(c) Functions and duties
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) of this
section 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.