Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022
Latest action · Dec 7, 2022 Held at the desk.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedSep 21, 2021
- Passed SenateDec 6, 2022
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022
This bill modifies the responsibilities of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) satellite offices and addresses related issues.
The bill increases the discount on patent-related fees for small and micro entities. An entity that falsely claims such a discount shall be subject to a fine, in addition to any other existing penalties.
The bill also modifies the statutory purpose of PTO satellite offices to include (1) outreach activities targeting certain groups, such as low-income populations, veterans, and geographic groups that are underrepresented in patent filings; and (2) targeting patent examiners and administrative patent judges from economically, geographically, and demographically diverse backgrounds in the PTO's retention activities.
For each satellite office established after January 1, 2023, the PTO must consider the office's proximity to anchor institutions (e.g., hospitals primarily serving veterans and institutions of higher education) and certain groups, such as low-income populations, veterans, and geographic groups that are underrepresented in patent filings.
The PTO must establish (1) a satellite office in the southeastern United States within three years of this bill's enactment, (2) at least four community outreach offices throughout the United States within five years of this bill's enactment, and (3) a pilot program to help prospective first-time patent applicants assess the strengths and weaknesses of a potential patent application.
The PTO must also (1) conduct and report to Congress a study on patent pro bono programs, including whether such programs are sufficiently serving prospective and existing participants; and (2) use the study's findings to update such pro bono programs.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 21, 2021 to Feb 28, 2022, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NC | Thom Tillis | Original | Sep 21, 2021 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Feb 28, 2022 |
Actions 10
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 7, 2022Held at the desk.
- Dec 7, 2022Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 7, 2022Received in the House.
- Dec 6, 2022Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7006-7007)
- Dec 6, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 8697 | Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022 | Related bill | Nov 1, 2022 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Commerce.
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 6, 2022Engrossed in Senate
- Dec 1, 2022Reported to Senate
- Sep 21, 2021Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.