New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
The Internet of Things: Frequently Asked Questions, October 13, 2015
Colombian Peace Talks Breakthrough: A Possible End-Game?, CRS Insight, October 13, 2015
Officers May Be Liable for Assuming an Automatic Hot Pursuit No Knock Exception, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 15, 2015
Sentence Reform Acts: S.2123 and H.R. 3713, October 14, 2015
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA): Background and Funding, October 14, 2015
Enrollment of Legislation: Relevant Congressional Procedures, October 14, 2015
Potential Impact of No Social Security COLA on Medicare Part B Premiums in 2016, October 13, 2015
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress, October 14, 2015
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress, September 29, 2015
The proposed Office will resurrect the long-closed Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), the archive of which has been maintained by FAS for decades at https://ota.fas.org/.
If Congress needs help understanding the risks and rewards of a piece of technology, they shouldn’t have to rely solely on the sparknotes from a salesman. The rub is much simpler: Congress needs nerds.
If we set up the new OTA to do its job well, members will see it as the first stop to see what issues are lurking around the corner. They will bring their questions early. And they will keep coming back for more.
Even the best-designed policy rests on assumptions about who will staff it, how it will be funded, whether the responsible institutions have ever coordinated, and if the goals are achievable.