ABSTRACT
The federal government designed programs to assist the public in gaining access to technical information and evaluating the impact of new technology, such as the National Science Foundation's Ethical Values in Science and Technology, Science for Citizens, and the Office of Technology Assessment. During the 1970s, concern persuaded local and federal officials to incorporate public representatives into the regulatory process. Furthermore, some of the most vocal participants on the Recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid Advisory Committee have major appointments in biotechnology firms or are actively promoting genetic engineering research. The Biotechnology Science Coordinating Committee (BSCC) has many occasions to discuss consequences of biotechnology that are both long- and short-range, as well as those that fall outside the mandate of the regulatory agencies. The membership of the BSCC and agency advisory committees should consist of scientists, experts from fields such as law, public policy, and risk assessment, and public representatives.
