The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) is a nonpartisan congressional support agency of the United States congress. OTA is charged with advising the Congress on a wide range of critical issues involving science and technology. This report to Congress is required under Sec. 11 of the Technology Assessment Act of 1972, Public Law 92-484 (see p. 55). It describes the activities of the Office in Fiscal Yaer 1994 within the context of the legislative agenda of the 103rd congress and the events in the United States and the world during 1994.

This brief report describes that the Earth's climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere. The buildup of greenhouse gases-primarily carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons-is changing the radiation balance of the planet. The basic heat-trapping property of these greenhouse gases is essentially undisputed. However, there is considerable scientific uncertainty about exactly how and when the Earth's climate will respond to enhanced greenhouse gases. The direct effects of climate change will include changes in temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and sea level. Such changes could have adverse effects on ecological systems, human health, and socio-economic sectors.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the legislature constitutionally may establish a guaranty association for the workers’ compensation liabilities of political subdivisions in which the membership would be mandatory and as to which the funding come come through assessments imposed on the membership (RQ-742)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether private security guards and of—duty peace officers are prohibited from carrying firearms on the premises of racetracks by section 46.03 of the Penal Code (RQ-699)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the General Services Commission has the authority to promulgate a rule to deem business owned by individuals with disabilities as “historically underutilized businesses” as that term is defined in section 1.02(3) of article 601b, V.T.C.S. (RQ-721)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether state and private university debit card programs are subject to the Sale of Checks Act, V.T.C.S. art. 489d, and related questions (RQ-684)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a statutorily mandated sign furnished by a towing company to a parking facility constitutes "anything of value" in contravention of article 6701g-2, V.T.C.S., and a related question (RQ-696)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a city's expenditures of community development block grant funds are subject to state competitive bidding laws (RQ-644)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether certain subordinated debt of a pawnshop must be included in the calculation of net assets for purposes of determining eligiblity for a pawnshop license under the Texas Pawnshop Act, V.T.C.S. tit. 79, ch. 51 (RQ-724)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Harris County Sheriff's authority to call up reserve deputy sheriffs to provide security personnel to separate governmental or private entities, and related questions (RQ-750)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarificationl; Whether a victim of delinquent conduct by a child may be a person having a "legitimate interest in the preceeding" for purposes of section 51.14(a)(4) of the Family Code, and related questions (RQ-728)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether an entity that contracts with an independent school district to provide educational services to the district under section 23.34 of the Education Code must comply with various statutory requirements imposed on school districts (RQ-722)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the Texas Board of Acupunture Examiners may promulgate a rule authorizing acupuncturists to hold themselves out as "doctor," "Oriental Medical Doctor," or "O.M.D." and related questions (RQ-748)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether section 157.002 of the Local Government Code authorizes a county to provide medical coverage for district officers and related questions (RQ-624)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether an expanded county civil service system established under Local Government Code section 158.007 covers sheriff’s and constable’s deputies when the sheriff’s department has not established a separate civil service system under chapter 158, subchapter B, and whether a county civil service system has authority to adopt subpoena power (RQ-342)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a “videographer” who is also a notary public may record a deposition upon oral examination (RQ-709)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the board of trustees of a public retirement system serves as a medical board or medical committee for purposes of the Open Meetings Act, Government Code section 551.078 and related question (RQ-529)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted to prohibit racial discrimination in federally funded programs and related questions (RQ-778)

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the children's trust fund created pursuant to chapter 74 of the Human Resources Code may be abolished under section 403.094 of the Government Code, and related questions (ID# 30789)

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has statutory authority to pursue Medicaid estate recoveries in accordance with 42 U.S.C. section 1396p(b)(1) (RQ-697)

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a public school district must obtain a payment bond on a public work contract for more than $25,000 that its insurer makes, under authority of the insurance contract between it and the insurer, with the prime contractor on a public work consisting of repairs to be performed on damaged school district property (ID# 31742)

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification;Disposition of debts and assets in the dissolution of the Morris county Hospital District(ID# 28637).

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification;Disposition of a municipal health authority's assets upon dissolution(ID# 29868).

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the State Committee of Examiners in the Fitting and Dispensing of Hearing Instruments may promulgate rules establishing criteria for the licensure of nonindividual persons to fit and dispense hearing instruments (ID# 28385)