1985 estimate

$3,622,000

$3,622,000

$3,101,500

3,101,500

3,500

10,000

33,000

30,000

185,000

306,000

3,000

$520,500

$3,622,000

1

15

10

11

12

10

1

NOTE.-Average salaries/positions under this account were computed from the annual salary rates for all positions as of November 30, 1983 (FY '83 column) and all positions as of November 30, 1983 with the January 1, 1984, 3.5% cost of living adjustment applied (FY '84 and FY '85 columns), unless other information was submitted by the obligating office.

OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

FISCAL YEAR 1985 BUDGET IN BRIEF

TO THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS

The funds requested represent the best estimate of the Technology Assessment Board of what is required to meet the needs of the 98th Congress.

For salaries and expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of the Technology Assessment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-484), including reception and representation expenses (not to exceed [$2,000] $3,000 from the Trust Fund), and rental of space in the District of Columbia and those necessary to carry out the duties of the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment under Section 1886 of the Social Security Act as amended by Section 601 of the Social Security Amendments of 1983 (P.L. 98-21) [$14,653,000]: $16,000,000. Provided, that none of the funds in the Act shall be available for salaries or expenses of any employee of the Office of Technology Assesssment in excess of [139] 145 staff employees: Provided further, that no part of this appropriation shall be available for assessments or activities not initiated and approved in accordance with section 3(d) of Public Law 92-484, except that funds shall be available for the assessment required by Public Law 96–151.

Budget Level

OTA's FY 83 appropriated level of $13,084,000 restored some of the purchasing power lost in previous fiscal years and allowed OTA to recover a portion of the resources needed to respond to some unexpected requirements and high priority requests.

The FY 84 appropriated level of $14,653,000 (excluding the proposed pay supplemental request of $190,000) allows OTA to initiate several new

2

assessments' as well as some special analyses and follow-on work that are needed to respond to the legislative agenda.

In FY 85, OTA anticipates a continued increase in requests for new and follow-on assessments of tritical concern to Congressional committees, as well as increased demand for testimony and briefings resulting from ongoing and completed assessments. The FY 85 request of $16,000,000 is the same as the FY 84 amended request level to the Senate. Also in the 1984 request were 15 additional staff positions, nine of which were provided. The 1985 requests provides for the remaining six positions not authorized in the 1984 request. The following are candidate positions from which six would be filled by new staff:

1. Ph.D. in engineering to work in areas of space (civilian and/or
military) and required critical materials, which will assist
Congress in shaping effective and affordable advanced technology
programs in these areas.

2.

3.

4.

Ph.D. in political science/international affairs to work in areas
of political and diplomatic constraints on high-technology trade,
which will assist Congress in formulating effective legislative
responses to the regulations and support measures which other
countries have enacted.

Ph.D. in molecular genetics with experience or a high level of
interest in working with ethical issues relating to biomedical and
biological policy.

Ph.D. economist in international trade and industrial
competitiveness, which will assist the Congress in understanding
innovation, reindustrialization, and U.S. competitiveness in areas
related to life sciences (such as biotechnology).

5.

Ph.D. or M.S. in computer science and information policy, which
will assist Congress in policy issues.

6.

7.

8.

Ph.D. in natural sciences with experience in analysis of science
policy issues.

M.S./Ph.D. information specialist to gather, analyze, and edit data
to be used by the professional staff in the performance of
assessments.

M.S./Ph.D. in process engineering and communications to design and
implement OTA processes to increase productivity in the production
of assessment reports and related activities.

The cost to provide for the above six (6) staff positions for FY 85 is estimated to be $240,000, plus $330,000 in non-staff costs for contracting and

INTRODUCTION

The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) was established to assist the Congress in dealing with the increasing number of costly and complex science and technology-related issues. The issues OTA is asked to address almost always have very large economic, environmental, and/or national security implications. They are almost always controversial because of conflicting evidence or claims about the technologies and their performance, cost, utility, and impacts.

In creating OTA, Congress recognized the necessity to anticipate and understand technical issues if science and technology are to be marshalled effectively to meet the Nation's needs. For example, efforts to improve productivity and compete effectively in international trade depend substantially on applications of science and technology. Similarly, our national security depends on both the effectiveness of our defense and the strength of our domestic economy; these in turn are dependent on fast-changing frontiers in science and technology. Large expenditures, in both the public and private sectors, are involved with such issues as automation in industry and commerce; strategic communications and intelligence systems; the physical infrastructure, including transportation, communications, and utilities; education, training, and research; and use of technologies in health care. The costs of error can be high. Arguments presented by experts are frequently so different, and definitive data so sparse, that OTA is often asked by Congress not only to explain the reasons for the differences but also to clarify the technical debate and attendant options. In addition, OTA is charged with the responsibility to keep Congress apprised of emerging developments in science and technology that may become important to Congress.

The statute (P.L. 92-484) that created OTA calls upon 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 (technological) 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."

In an era of increasingly complex choices, the analysis function is so vital that if a unique resource like OTA, shared by all committees, did not exist, individual committees of the House and Senate would need to replicate the capability from their own resources. The inevitable result would be inefficient duplication of effort and increased costs. The analyses undertaken by OTA are of specific interest to, and usually requested by, one or more committees in the House and Senate. Of course, the products of OTA

studies are made available to all Members and to the public.

In addition to acting as a shared resource to the committees of the Congress, OTA staff cooperate and interact extensively with staffs of other federal agencies, in both the Legislative and Executive branches, as well as with the private sector. This extensive cooperation and networking not only serves to avoid duplication but also serves to increase Congress' analytical