[United States Government Manual]
[July 01, 1995]
[Pages 60-63]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT\1\
600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20510-8025
Phone, 202-224-8713
\1\This Office will become inactive on September 30, 1995.
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Director Roger C. Herdman
Executive Assistant to the Barbara Linkins
Director
Director, Congressional Affairs James Jensen
Director, Press Affairs Jean K. McDonald
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Assistant Director, Industry, Commerce, and Peter Blair
International Security Division
Program Director, Energy, Emilia Govan
Transportation, and
Infrastructure
Program Director, International Alan Shaw
Security and Space
Program Director, Industry Andy Wyckoff
Telecommunications and
Commerce
Assistant Director, Health, Education, and Clyde Behney
Environment Division
Program Director, Education and Denise Dougherty
Human Resources
Program Director, Environment Robert Niblock
Program Director, Health Sean Tunis
Congressional Board
Chairman (vacancy)
Vice Chairman Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
Senate Members Orrin G. Hatch, Ernest
F. Hollings, Edward
M. Kennedy,
Claiborne Pell,
(vacancy)
House of Representatives Members George E. Brown, Jr.,
John D. Dingell,
Amo Houghton, Jim
McDermott, Michael
Oxley, (vacancy)
OTA Member (nonvoting) Roger C. Herdman
Advisory Council
Chairman James C. Hunt
Vice Chairman Max Lennon
Members Charles Bowsher, Lewis
Branscomb, Herbert
Doan, Neil Harl,
James C. Hunt,
Joshua Lederberg,
Max Lennon, Daniel
Mulhollan, Thomas
Perkins, Chase N.
Peterson, John F.M.
Sims, Marina von
Neumann Whitman
________________________________________________________________________
The Office of Technology Assessment reports to the Congress on the
scientific and technical impact of government policies and proposed
legislative initiatives.
The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) was created by the Technology
Assessment Act of 1972 (2 U.S.C. 472) to serve the United States
Congress by providing objective analyses of major public policy issues
related to scientific and technological change. The Office began
operations in January 1974.
The bipartisan 13-member Board includes 6 Senators appointed by the
President pro tempore, 6 Members of the House of Representatives
appointed by the Speaker, and the Director of OTA, who is a nonvoting
member.
The Technology Assessment Advisory Council comprises 10 public
members eminent in science and technology. The Council is appointed by
the Board and advises the Board and OTA on assessments and other
matters.
The Office's assessments explore complex issues involving science
and technology, helping Congress resolve uncertainties and conflicting
claims,
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identifying alternative policy options, and providing foresight or early
alert to new developments that could have important implications for
future Federal policy. Requests for assessments may be made by the
chairman of any congressional committee acting for himself or on behalf
of a ranking minority member, or a majority of committee members; by the
OTA Board; or by the OTA Director, in consultation with the Board.
The Office's work centers on comprehensive assessments that may take
1 to 2 years to complete. It also draws upon its past and current work
to provide a variety of responses to meet immediate congressional needs,
such as briefings, testimony, and special reports.
Office assessment teams work closely with congressional staff and
support agencies to ensure that major committee concerns are addressed,
and to stay in touch with the published work and current activities of
analysts and researchers in the executive branch and throughout the
public and private interest sectors. Each project is guided by an
advisory panel of experts on a particular subject to ensure that reports
are objective, fair, and authoritative.
After approval for release by the Board, OTA assessment reports are
distributed to the requesting committees, with summaries provided to all
Members of Congress. The reports are available to the public through the
Government Printing Office.
Sources of Information
Information may be obtained from the following sources:
Congressional and Public Affairs Office (documents for congressional
use and general information about OTA). Phone, 202-224-9241.
Publications Request Department (OTA documents for general public
use). Phone, 202-224-8996.
Internet. OTA.GOV.
Press. Phone, 202-228-6204.
Fax. Phone, 202-228-6098.
________________________________________________________________________