Reps. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Bill Foster, D-Ill., joined Sens. Mazie Hirono D-Hawaii, and Thom Tillis R-N.C., to introduce a bill to revive the Office of Technology Assessment with boosted accessibility and responsiveness. The Office of Technology Assessment Improvement and Enhancement Act would allow all Congress members to request technology assessments from a revived OTA, Takano’s office said Thursday.
The U.S. federal government originally created OTA in 1972. The office ran through 1995. A potential new version of OTA would offer technical support and briefings to help Congress address issues on science and technology.
The new OTA would employ a technology assessment board that would review requests submitted by Congress. The bipartisan bill would also require OTA to increase transparency and work with the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service to avoid work duplication.
