[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2618 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2618

  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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2023

 Mr. Lujan (for himself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Office of Technology Assessment 
Improvement and Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 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)) is amended by striking ``the Office of 
Technology Assessment'' and inserting ``the Congressional Office of 
Technology''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 5(a) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
474(a)) is amended by striking ``Director of the Office of Technology 
Assessment'' and inserting ``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'' and inserting 
``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.

SEC. 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)) is amended--
            (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'' 
        and inserting ``completed analyses, as well as preliminary 
        findings of ongoing analyses,'';
            (3) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (7);
            (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)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(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)) is amended, in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1), in the second sentence, by inserting after ``may be made 
available to the public'' the following: ``(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)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new sentence: ``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) is amended by adding at the end the following 
        new subsection:
    ``(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) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new subsection:
    ``(e) The Office and the Government Accountability Office shall 
coordinate technology assessment activities to avoid unnecessary 
duplication or overlapping of research activities.''.

SEC. 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)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``appointed by the 
        President pro tempore of the Senate'' and inserting ``appointed 
        jointly by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the 
        Senate''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``appointed by the 
        Speaker of the House of Representatives'' and inserting 
        ``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) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsections:
    ``(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.''.
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