[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5108 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5108


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 16, 2014

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the United 
      States Patent and Trademark Office, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. USPTO LAW SCHOOL CLINIC CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Law School Clinic Certification Program of 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as implemented by the 
Office, is established as a program entitled the ``Law School Clinic 
Certification Program''. The Program shall allow students enrolled in a 
participating law school's clinic to practice patent and trademark law 
before the Office by drafting, filing, and prosecuting patent or 
trademark applications, or both, on a pro-bono basis for clients that 
qualify for assistance from the law school's clinic. The Director shall 
establish regulations and procedures for application to and 
participation in the Program. All law schools accredited by the 
American Bar Association are eligible for participation in the Program, 
and shall be examined for acceptance using identical criteria 
established by the Director. The Program shall be in effect for the 10-
year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Report on the Program.--The Director shall, not later than the 
last day of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
this Act, submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report on the Program, describing the 
number of law schools and law students participating in the Program, 
the work done through the Program, the benefits of the Program, and any 
recommendations of the Director for modifications to the Program.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the United States 
        Patent and Trademark Office.
            (2) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Law School 
        Clinic Certification Program established in subsection (a).
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Under 
        Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of 
        the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2014.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.