2 U.S.C. § 471 — Congressional findings and declaration of

Page 152 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 441h § 441h. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 441h was editorially reclassified as section 30124 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 441i. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 441i was editorially reclassified as section 30125 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 441j. Repealed. Pub. L. 96–187, title I, § 105(1), Jan. 8, 1980, 93 Stat. 1354 Section, Pub. L. 92–225, title III, § 329, as added Pub. L. 94–283, title I, § 112(2), May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 494, set forth provisions respecting penalties for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF REPEAL Repeal effective Jan. 8, 1980, see section 301(a) of Pub. L. 96–187, set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amend- ment note under section 30101 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 441k. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 441k was editorially reclassified as section 30126 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 442. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 442 was editorially reclassified as section 6566 of this title. SUBCHAPTER II—GENERAL PROVISIONS § 451. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 451 was editorially reclassified as section 30141 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 452. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 452 was editorially reclassified as section 30142 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 453. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 453 was editorially reclassified as section 30143 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 454. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 454 was editorially reclassified as section 30144 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 455. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 455 was editorially reclassified as section 30145 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. § 456. Repealed. Pub. L. 94–283, title I, § 111, May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 486 Section, Pub. L. 92–225, title IV, § 407, as added Pub. L. 93–443, title III, § 302, Oct. 15, 1974, 88 Stat. 1290, gave Commission additional enforcement authority by pro- viding for disqualification of candidates for Federal of- fice from elections for Federal office for a period of time following a finding by Commission that candidate failed to file a required report. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SAVINGS PROVISION Repeal by Pub. L. 94–283 not to release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under this section or penalty, with this section or penalty to be treated as remaining in force for the purpose of sus- taining any proper action or prosecution for the en- forcement of any penalty, forfeiture, or liability, see section 114 of Pub. L. 94–283, set out as a note under sec- tion 441 of this title. § 457. Transferred Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section 457 was editorially reclassified as section 30146 of Title 52, Voting and Elections. CHAPTER 15—OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Sec. 471. Congressional findings and declaration of pur- pose. 472. Office of Technology Assessment. 473. Technology Assessment Board. 474. Director of Office of Technology Assessment. 475. Powers of Office of Technology Assessment. 476. Technology Assessment Advisory Council. 477. Utilization of services of Library of Congress. 478. Utilization of the Government Accountability Office. 479. Coordination of activities with National Science Foundation. 480. Omitted. 481. Authorization of appropriations; availability of appropriations. § 471. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose The Congress hereby finds and declares that: (a) As technology continues to change and ex- pand rapidly, its applications are— (1) large and growing in scale; and (2) increasingly extensive, pervasive, and critical in their impact, beneficial and ad- verse, on the natural and social environment. (b) Therefore, it is essential that, to the full- est extent possible, the consequences of techno- logical 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 respon- sible directly to the Congress are not designed Page 153 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 472 to provide the legislative branch with ade- quate 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 leg- islative branch with such information. (d) Accordingly, it is necessary for the Con- gress 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 applica- tions; and (2) utilize this information, whenever appro- priate, as one factor in the legislative assess- ment of matters pending before the Congress, particularly in those instances where the Fed- eral Government may be called upon to con- sider support for, or management or regula- tion of, technological applications. (Pub. L. 92–484, § 2, Oct. 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 797.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SHORT TITLE Pub. L. 92–484, § 1, Oct. 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 797, 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 Of- fice and who are not otherwise gainfully employed may continue to be paid by the Office of Technology Assess- ment at their respective salaries for a period not to ex- ceed 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 re- tirement, annual and sick leave earnings, and health and life insurance. A statement in writing to the Direc- tor of the Office of Technology Assessment or his des- ignee 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 Fed- eral Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended [see chapters 1 to 11 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of Title 41, Public Contracts], 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 hard- ware 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 Ar- chitect 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 Rep- resentatives and the Senate.’’ § 472. Office of Technology Assessment (a) Creation In accordance with the findings and declara- tion of purpose in section 471 of this title, there is hereby created the Office of Technology As- sessment (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Of- fice’’) which shall be within and responsible to the legislative branch of the Government. (b) Composition The Office shall consist of a Technology As- sessment Board (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Board’’) which shall formulate and promulgate the policies of the Office, and a Director who shall carry out such policies and administer the operations of the Office. (c) Functions and duties The basic function of the Office shall be to provide early indications of the probable bene- ficial and adverse impacts of the applications of technology and to develop other coordinate in- formation which may assist the Congress. In carrying out such function, the Office shall: (1) identify existing or probable impacts of technology or technological programs; (2) where possible, ascertain cause-and-effect relationships; (3) identify alternative technological meth- ods of implementing specific programs; (4) identify alternative programs for achiev- ing requisite goals; (5) make estimates and comparisons of the impacts of alternative methods and programs; (6) present findings of completed analyses to the appropriate legislative authorities; (7) identify areas where additional research or data collection is required to provide ade- quate support for the assessments and esti- mates described in paragraph (1) through (5) of this subsection; and (8) undertake such additional associated ac- tivities as the appropriate authorities speci- fied under subsection (d) may direct. (d) Initiation of assessment activities Assessment activities undertaken by the Of- fice may be initiated upon the request of: (1) the chairman of any standing, special, or select committee of either House of the Con- gress, or of any joint committee of the Con- gress, acting for himself or at the request of the ranking minority member or a majority of the committee members; (2) the Board; or (3) the Director, in consultation with the Board. (e) Availability of information Assessments made by the Office, including in- formation, surveys, studies, reports, and find- ings related thereto, shall be made available to the initiating committee or other appropriate committees of the Congress. In addition, any such information, surveys, studies, reports, and findings produced by the Office may be made available to the public except where— (1) to do so would violate security statutes; or (2) the Board considers it necessary or advis- able to withhold such information in accord-