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Office of Technology Assessment 



The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) was created in 1972 as 

 an advisory arm of Congress. OTA's basic function is to help legislative 

 policymakers anticipate and plan for the consequences of technological 

 changes and to examine the many ways, expected and unexpected, in 

 which technology affects people's lives. The assessment of technology 

 calls for exploration of the physical, biological, economic, social, and 

 political impacts which can result from applicationsof scientific knowl- 

 edge. OTA provides Congress with independent and timely infomiation 

 about the potential effects — both beneficial and hamiful — of techno- 

 logical applications. 



Requests for studies are made by chairmen of standing committees 

 of the House of Representatives or Senate; by the Technology Assess- 

 ment Board, the governing body of OTA; or by the Director of OTA 

 in consultation with the Board. 



The Technology Assessment Board is composed of six members of 

 the House, six members of the Senate, and the OTA Director, who is 

 a non-voting member. 



OTAcurrently has underway studies in eight general areas — energy, 

 food, health, materials, oceans, transportation, international trade, and 

 policies and priorities for research and development programs. 



