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[[underlined]]Smithsoniam Science Information Exchange[[/underlined]]

It will be recalled that the March 1977 General Accounting Office Report on the Smithsonian Institution recommended that the Board of Regents consider dissolving the corporate status of the Smithsonian Science Information Exchange (SSIE) and conduct its operations as part of the Insitution's regular organization structure. Subsequently, in its action on the fiscal year 1978 appropriation, the Senate Appropriations Committee stated that efforts should begin to effect the transition of the Exchange to Federal status either in the Smithsonian or an appropriate Federal agency.

In recognition of the Institution's concerns about the implementation of those recommendations, given the history and development of the SSIE, the Office of Management and Budget advised that it would assist in resolving matters relevant to the future status of the Exchange. In July 1978, OMB proposed to the Senate Committee on Appropriations that the SSIE be transferred to the Department of Commerce. OMB indicated that it would direct the Department to study the issues of terminating SSIE's corporate status, converting its employees to civil service, and consolidating its operations with those of the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) already operated by the Department. The Senate endorsed this plan as did the House in the action on the fiscal year 1979 appropriation. An initial step in the implementation of this action was taken when the OMB placed funds for the operation of the Exchange in the Department of Commerce's budget for fiscal year 1980.

The OMB, with information from the Commerce Department, the Institution, and SSIE, has continued to study the relationship of the