§ 475. — Powers of Office of Technology Assessment.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 2USC475]
TITLE 2--THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 15--OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Sec. 475. Powers of Office of Technology Assessment
(a) Use of public and private personnel and organizations; formation of
special ad hoc task forces; contracts with governmental, etc.,
agencies and instrumentalities; advance, progress, and other
payments; utilization of services of voluntary and uncompensated
personnel; acquisition, holding, and disposal of real and
personal property; promulgation of rules and regulations
The Office shall have the authority, within the limits of available
appropriations, to do all things necessary to carry out the provisions
of this chapter, including, but without being limited to, the authority
to--
(1) make full use of competent personnel and organizations
outside the Office, public or private, and form special ad hoc task
forces or make other arrangements when appropriate;
(2) enter into contracts or other arrangements as may be
necessary for the conduct of the work of the Office with any agency
or instrumentality of the United States, with any State, territory,
or possession or any political subdivision thereof, or with any
person, firm, association, corporation, or educational institution,
with or without reimbursement, without performance or other bonds,
and without regard to section 5 of title 41;
(3) make advance, progress, and other payments which relate to
technology assessment without regard to the provisions of section
3324(a) and (b) of title 31;
(4) accept and utilize the services of voluntary and
uncompensated personnel necessary for the conduct of the work of the
Office and provide transportation and subsistence as authorized by
section 5703 of title 5, for persons serving without compensation;
(5) acquire by purchase, lease, loan, or gift, and hold and
dispose of by sale, lease, or loan, real and personal property of
all kinds necessary for or resulting from the exercise of authority
granted by this chapter; and
(6) prescribe such rules and regulations as it deems necessary
governing the operation and organization of the Office.
(b) Recordkeeping by contractors and other parties entering into
contracts and other arrangements with Office; availability of
books and records to Office and Comptroller General for audit
and examination
Contractors and other parties entering into contracts and other
arrangements under this section which involve costs to the Government
shall maintain such books and related records as will facilitate an
effective audit in such detail and in such manner as shall be prescribed
by the Office, and such books and records (and related documents and
papers) shall be available to the Office and the Comptroller General of
the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, for
the purpose of audit and examination.
(c) Operation of laboratories, pilot plants, or test facilities
The Office, in carrying out the provisions of this chapter, shall
not, itself, operate any laboratories, pilot plants, or test facilities.
(d) Requests to executive departments or agencies for information,
suggestions, estimates, statistics, and technical assistance;
duty of executive departments and agencies to furnish
information, etc.
The Office is authorized to secure directly from any executive
department or agency information, suggestions, estimates, statistics,
and technical assistance for the purpose of carrying out its functions
under this chapter. Each such executive department or agency shall
furnish the information, suggestions, estimates, statistics, and
technical assistance directly to the Office upon its request.
(e) Requests to heads of executive departments or agencies for detail of
personnel; reimbursement
On request of the Office, the head of any executive department or
agency may detail, with or without reimbursement, any of its personnel
to assist the Office in carrying out its functions under this chapter.
(f) Appointment and compensation of personnel
The Director shall, in accordance with such policies as the Board
shall prescribe, appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as
may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
(Pub. L. 92-484, Sec. 6, Oct. 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 799.)
Codification
In subsec. (a)(3), ``section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31''
substituted for ``section 3648 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 529)''
on authority of Pub. L. 97-258, Sec. 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat.
1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.
