[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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Director                                         Roger C. Herdman
  Executive Assistant to the                     Barbara Linkins
      Director
Director, Congressional Affairs                  James Jensen
Director, Press Affairs                          Jean K. McDonald


[[Page 61]]

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,

[[Page 62]]




[[Page 63]]

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.
________________________________________________________________________