H.R. 8697 · 117th Congress
Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
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RossSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill modifies the responsibilities of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) satellite offices, increases the discount on patent-related fees for small and micro entities, and addresses related issues.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Aug 9, 2022
Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022
This bill modifies the responsibilities of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) satellite offices, increases the discount on patent-related fees for small and micro entities, and addresses related issues.
Specifically, the bill modifies the statutory purpose of PTO satellite offices to include outreach and retention activities targeting underrepresented groups and individuals from economically, geographically, and demographically diverse backgrounds.
For each satellite office established after July 1, 2022, the PTO must consider the office's proximity to anchor institutions (e.g., hospitals primarily serving veterans and institutions of higher education) and populations that are underrepresented in patent filings, including women, people of color, and rural populations.
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 likelihood that a potential patent will be issued.
The PTO must also (1) conduct and report to Congress a study on patent pro bono programs, including whether such programs are sufficiently serving underrepresented groups; and (2) use the study's findings to update such pro bono programs.
In addition to increasing the discount on fees for small and micro entities, the bill also imposes penalties for making a fraudulent certification to obtain the discount, specifically by revoking any patent resulting from an application related to the fraudulent certification.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022
Latest action (Nov 1, 2022): Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
Policy area: Commerce · Origin: House · Introduced: Aug 9, 2022
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.