§ 471. Congressional Findings and Declaration of Purpose

     The Congress hereby finds and declares that:

     (a) As technology continues to change and expand rapidly, its applications are—

     (1) large and growing in scale; and

     (2) increasingly extensive, pervasive, and critical in their impact, beneficial and adverse, on the natural and social environment.

     (b) Therefore, it is essential that, to the fullest extent possible, the consequences of technological applications be anticipated, understood, and considered in determination of public policy on existing and emerging national problems.

     (c) The Congress further finds that:

     (1) the Federal agencies presently responsible directly to the Congress are not designed to provide the legislative branch with adequate and timely information, independently developed, relating to the potential impact of technological applications, and

     (2) the present mechanisms of the Congress do not and are not designed to provide the legislative branch with such information.

     (d) Accordingly, it is necessary for the Congress to—

     (1) equip itself with new and effective means for securing competent, unbiased information concerning the physical, biological, economic, social, and political effects of such applications; and

     (2) utilize this information, whenever appropriate, as one factor in the legislative assessment of matters pending before the Congress, particularly in those instances where the Federal Government may be called upon to consider support for, or management or regulation of, technological applications.

(Pub. L. 92–484, § 2, Oct. 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 797.)

     Section 1 of Pub. L. 92–484 provided: "That this Act [enacting this chapter and amending section 1862 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare] may be cited as the `Technology Assessment Act of 1972’."

Termination of Office of Technology Assessment

     Pub. L. 104–53, title I, §§ 113, 114, Nov. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 526, provided that:

     "Sec. 113. Upon enactment of this Act [Nov. 19, 1995] all employees of the Office of Technology Assessment for 183 days preceding termination of employment who are terminated as a result of the elimination of the Office and who are not otherwise gainfully employed may continue to be paid by the Office of Technology Assessment at their respective salaries for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days following the employee’s date of termination or until the employee becomes otherwise gainfully employed whichever is earlier. Any day for which a former employee receives a payment under this section shall be counted as Federal service for purposes of determining entitlement to benefits, including retirement, annual and sick leave earnings, and health and life insurance. A statement in writing to the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment or his designee by any such employee that he was not gainfully employed during such period or the portion thereof for which payment is claimed shall be accepted as prima facie evidence that he was not so employed.

     "Sec. 114. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended [40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.], or any other provision of law, upon the abolition of the Office of Technology Assessment, all records and property of the Office (including the Unix system, all computer hardware and software, all library collections and research materials, and all photocopying equipment), shall be under the administrative control of the Architect of the Capitol. Not later than December 31, 1995, the Architect shall submit a proposal to transfer such records and property to appropriate support agencies of the Legislative Branch which request such transfer, and shall carry out such transfer subject to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate."

     This section is referred to in section 472 of this title.