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OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT 33

Schedule C1: Industry, Commerce, and International Security Division

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10.2 Explanation of Changes Shown on Schedule C1 for Division A

Industry, Commerce, and International Security Division

A. MANDATORY PAY AND RELATED COSTS

1. Excess Day, from 261 to 260 work days in FY 1995

2. FTE reduction of 1 temporary staff to meet the 4% reduction in Sec. 307 of PL 103-69

3. January 1995 2.6% Cost-of-Living Adjustment

4. Merit increases and promotions averaging 3% agency-wide

5. Annualization of January 1994 4% plus estimated January 1995 7.5% health benefit increases

B. PRICE LEVEL CHANGES

1. Travel inflation rate of 10% applied to base

2. Miscellaneous transportation inflation rate of 2.7% applied to base

3. Printing and publications inflation rate of 3% applied to base

4. Other services inflation rate of 2.7% applied to base 5.Supplies and materials inflation rate of 2.7% applied to base

6. Equipment inflation rate of 2.7% applied non ADP equipment base

C. PROGRAM TYPE CHANGES

1. Legislation

2. Workload

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10.3 Role of the Industry, Commerce, and International Security Division
The Industry, Commerce, and International Security Division comprises 5 research Programs:
Energy and Materials; Industry, Technology, and Employment; International Security and Commerce;
Science, Education, and Transportation; and Telecommunications and Computing Technology.

The Energy and Materials Program (E&M) is responsible for assisting the Congress in understanding the role of technology in developing energy and materials resources and the consequences of these developments for society. The Program helps the Congress progress toward rational resource development such that economic growth is maintained, undesirable side effects are kept to a minimum, and the resource base is sustained for future generations. The Program covers those technologies that concern the extraction, delivery, and the use of energy and materials. The Program also analyzes world energy and materials markets and policies, especially the implications of U.S. imports and exports of energy and materials.

The Industry, Technology, and Employment Program (ITE) examines how technology affects the ability of U.S. industry to contribute to a healthy national economy. This includes consideration of the competitiveness of U.S. industries in international markets; trade and economic development issues; the number and nature of employment opportunities in the U.S. economy; needs for worker education, training and retraining; and ways to ease adjustment in structural economic transitions. The ITE Program is concerned with the role of technology in examining the competitive position of both basic and new industries, with the development and dissemination of pre-competitive technologies, and with the quantity, nature, and quality of jobs in the U.S. economy.

The International Security and Commerce Program (ISC) deals with the role of technology in national security, exploration and commercialization of space, and international technology transfer. The Program's work in national security focuses on assessment of the likely impacts of technological considerations on national security, including international stability, terrorism, diplomacy, alliance relations, arms control, deterrence, and defense. Assessment of issues related to the nation's defense industrial and technology base is an increasing part of ISC's work. The Program's work on space involves a broad range of issues, such as space transportation, international cooperation and competition in civilian space activities, and other areas in which technological progress, civilian exploration, commercial uses of space, and national security must all be reconciled.

The Science, Education, and Transportation Program (SET) includes efforts focusing on the Federal government's in national transportation systems and policy; it includes a variety of efforts related to the Federal Government's role in maintaining the health of the U.S. scientific enterprise, especially allocation and decision methods available to the Congress to support and manage research and development; and, finally, the Program activities include a strong focus on the role of technology in enhancing learning in schools as well as in non-school educational systems.

The Telecommunications and Computing Technology Program (TCT) is concerned primarily with the changing role of telecommunications and computing technologies in the nation's industry, commerce, and government. The core responsibilities of the Program require monitoring the research and development of new information technologies and assessing the state of the art in these areas as well as the pace and direction of basic research and development. The Program also studies telecommunications regulation, information policy, and applications of information technol

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10.4 Accomplishments of the Industry, Commerce, and

International Security Division

In FY 1993, the Industry, Commerce, and International Security Division published 17 assessment reports:

■ Industrial Energy Efficiency

■ Access to Over-the Road Buses for Persons with Disabilities

■ Defense Conversion: Redirecting R&D

■ The 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference: Technology and Policy Implications

■ Energy Efficiency Technologies for Central and Eastern Europe

■ Who Goes There: Friend or Foe?

■ Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime

■The Future of Remote Sensing from Space: Civilian Satellite Systems and Applications

■ Aging Nuclear Power Plants: Managing Plant Life and Decommissioning

■ Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Assessing the Risks

■ Multinationals and the National Interest: Playing by Different Rules

■ U.S. Telecommunications Services in European Markets

■ Making Government Work: Electronic Delivery of Federal Services

■ Protecting Privacy in Computerized Medical Information

■ Energy Efficiency: Challenges and Opportunities for Electric Utilities

■Contributions of DOE Weapons Labs and NIST to Semiconductor Technology

■ Pulling Together for Productivity: A Union-Management Initiative at US West, Inc.

The Division also published 10 background papers:

U.S. Banks and International Telecommunications

■ Data Format Standards for Civilian Remote Sensing Satellites

■ Advanced Network Technology

■ Development Assistance, Export Promotion, and Environmental Technology Accessibility and Integrity of Networked Information Collections

■ Chemical Weapons Convention: Effects on the U.S. Chemical Industry

■ Aircraft Evacuation Testing: Research and Technology Issues

■ Potential Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Production

■Information Systems Related to Technology Transfer: A Report on Federal Technology Transfer in the United States

Biopolymers: Making Materials Nature's Way

In addition, the Division testified 15 times.

Listed below are several examples of direct legislative use of the Division's work:

Energy and Materials

1. The project staff of the assessment Green Products by Design: Choices for a Cleaner Environment consulted extensively with staff of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in the preparation of legislation introduced in the 103d Congress to promote environmental technol

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on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials concerning toxic use reduction and reauthorization of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

2. The OTA report, Energy Efficiency Technologies for Central and Eastern Europe, was released in July 1993, just before the Senate consideration of the bill on financial and technical assistance to the former Soviet Union. Senate staffers reported that it was useful background material for the portions of the bill dealing with energy matters.

3. The report, Industrial Energy Efficiency, was released in April 1993 at a hearing before the Subcommittee on Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Competitiveness of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing focused on the potential for enhancing U.S. industrial competitiveness through energy efficiency and waste minimization technologies. 4. Based on the findings of the report Energy Efficiency in the Federal Government: Government by Good Example?, OTA interacted extensively with the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and staff of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power in development of the Federal energy efficiency provisions of Public Law 102-486, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (specifically, Title 1-Energy Efficiency, Subtitle F-Federal Agency Energy Management).

5. Many of the findings and options of OTA's report, U.S. Oil Import Vulnerability: The Technical Replacement Capability, were adopted in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The Act contains extensive provisions for alternative vehicle fuels, alternative feedstocks, and improved energy efficiency. One option formed the basis of S. 1018 introduced by Sen. Bingaman and referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to establish national energy policy goals. S. 1018 was incorporated into the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT). During legislative consideration of EPACT in the 102d Congress, the report was cited by House and Senate committees and in floor statements. 6. OTA's report, Building Energy Efficiency and the earlier report, Energy Efficiency in the Federal Government: Government by Good Example?, were used by the staff of the Subcommittee on the Environment, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to assist them in preparation of comprehensive energy R&D legislation that became the R&D titles in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Committee staff have reported that the building energy efficiency report was used during negotiations by House and Senate conferees.

7. OTA's report, Electric Power Wheeling and Dealing: Technological Considerations for Increasing Competition, was also cited extensively in the early legislative discussions and hearings in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power affecting the regulation of electric utilities.

8. OTA staff were consulted by several House and Senate staff regarding legislative proposals aimed at removal of older cars from the U.S. fleet as a result of the report Retiring Old Cars: Programs to Save Gasoline and Reduce Emissions.

9. During the course of the OTA assessment Renewable Energy Technology Research Development, and Commercial Prospects, OTA project staff were consulted by congressional committee staff in connection with hearings, and draft legislation on renewable energy issues. For example, OTA provided background information on hydrogen energy systems to minority staff of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy, for use in drafting H.R.

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