[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7006-S7007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               UNLEASHING AMERICAN INNOVATORS ACT OF 2022

  Ms. HASSAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 571, S. 2773.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2773) to amend the Leahy-Smith America Invents 
     Act to address satellite offices of the United States Patent 
     and Trademark Office, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on the Judiciary with an 
amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part 
printed in italic as follows:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Unleashing American 
     Innovators Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Under 
     Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director 
     of the Office.
       (2) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the United States 
     Patent and Trademark Office.
       (3) Patent pro bono programs.--The term ``patent pro bono 
     programs'' means the programs established pursuant to section 
     32 of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (35 U.S.C. 2 note).
       (4) Southeast region of the united states.--The term 
     ``southeast region of the United States'' means the area of 
     the United States that is comprised of the States of 
     Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, 
     Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

     SEC. 3. SATELLITE OFFICES.

       (a) Amendments to Purpose and Required Considerations.--
     Section 23 of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (35 U.S.C. 
     1 note) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``increase outreach activities to''; and
       (ii) by inserting after ``Office'' the following: ``, 
     including by increasing outreach activities, including to 
     individual inventors, small businesses, veterans, low-income 
     populations, students, rural populations, and any geographic 
     group of innovators that the Director may determine to be 
     underrepresented in patent filings''; and
       (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       ``(2) enhance patent examiner and administrative patent 
     judge retention, including patent examiners and 
     administrative patent judges from economically, 
     geographically, and demographically diverse backgrounds;''; 
     and
       (2) in subsection (c)(1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) with respect to each office established after January 
     1, 2023, shall consider the proximity of the office to anchor 
     institutions (such as hospitals primarily serving veterans 
     and institutions of higher education), individual inventors, 
     small businesses, veterans, low-income populations, students, 
     rural populations, and any geographic group of innovators 
     that the Director may determine to be underrepresented in 
     patent filings.''.
       (b) Southeast Regional Office.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a 
     satellite office of the Office in the southeast region of the 
     United States.
       (2) Considerations.--When selecting a site for the office 
     required under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider the 
     following:
       (A) The number of patent-intensive industries located near 
     the site.
       (B) How many research-intensive institutions, including 
     institutions of higher education, are located near the site.
       (C) The State and local government legal and business 
     frameworks that support intellectual property-intensive 
     industries located near the site.
       (c) Study on Additional Satellite Offices.--Not later than 
     2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
     shall complete a study to determine whether additional 
     satellite offices of the Office are necessary to--
       (1) achieve the purposes described in section 23(b) of the 
     Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (35 U.S.C. 1 note), as 
     amended by this section; and
       (2) increase participation in the patent system by 
     individual inventors, small businesses, veterans, low-income 
     populations, students, rural populations, and any geographic 
     group of innovators that the Director may determine to be 
     underrepresented in patent filings.

     SEC. 4. COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICES.

       (a) Establishment.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), not 
     later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Director shall establish not fewer than 4 community 
     outreach offices throughout the United States.
       (2) Restriction.--No community outreach office established 
     under paragraph (1) may be located in the same State as--
       (A) the principal office of the Office; or
       (B) any satellite office of the Office.
       (3) Requirement for northern new england region.--
       (A) In general.--The Director shall establish not less than 
     1 community outreach office under this subsection in the 
     northern New England region, which shall serve the States of 
     Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
       (B) Considerations.--In determining the location for the 
     office required to be established under subparagraph (A), the 
     Director shall give preference to a location in which--
       (i) as of the date of enactment of this Act--

       (I) there is located not less than 1 public institution of 
     higher education and not less than 1 private institution of 
     higher education; and
       (II) there are located not more than 15 registered patent 
     attorneys, according to data from the Office of Enrollment 
     and Discipline of the Office; and

       (ii) according to data from the 2012 Survey of Business 
     Owners conducted by the Bureau of the Census, less than 45 
     percent of the firms (as that term is defined for the 
     purposes of that Survey) are owned by women, minorities, or 
     veterans.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the community outreach 
     offices established under subsection (a) are to--
       (1) further achieve the purposes described in section 
     23(b)(1) of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (35 U.S.C. 1 
     note), as amended by this Act;
       (2) partner with local community organizations, 
     institutions of higher education, research institutions, and 
     businesses to create community-based programs that--
       (A) provide education regarding the patent system; and
       (B) promote the career benefits of innovation and 
     entrepreneurship; and
       (3) educate prospective inventors, including individual 
     inventors, small businesses, veterans, low-income 
     populations, students, rural populations, and any geographic 
     group of innovators that the Director may determine to be 
     underrepresented in patent filings, about all public and 
     private resources available to potential patent applicants, 
     including the patent pro bono programs.

     SEC. 5. UPDATES TO THE PATENT PRO BONO PROGRAMS.

       (a) Study and Updates.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall--
       (A) complete a study of the patent pro bono programs; and
       (B) submit the results of the study required under 
     subparagraph (A) to the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
     Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Scope of the study.--The study required under paragraph 
     (1)(A) shall--
       (A) assess--
       (i) whether the patent pro bono programs, as in effect on 
     the date on which the study is commenced, are sufficiently 
     serving prospective and existing participants;
       (ii) whether the patent pro bono programs are sufficiently 
     funded to serve prospective participants;
       (iii) whether any participation requirement of the patent 
     pro bono programs, including any requirement to demonstrate 
     knowledge of the patent system, serves as a deterrent for 
     prospective participants;
       (iv) the degree to which prospective inventors are aware of 
     the patent pro bono programs;
       (v) what factors, if any, deter attorneys from 
     participating in the patent pro bono programs;
       (vi) whether the patent pro bono programs would be improved 
     by expanding those programs to include non-attorney 
     advocates; and
       (vii) any other issue the Director determines appropriate; 
     and
       (B) make recommendations for such administrative and 
     legislative action as may be appropriate.
       (b) Use of Results.--Upon completion of the study required 
     under subsection (a), the Director shall work with the Pro 
     Bono Advisory Council, the operators of the patent pro bono 
     programs, and intellectual property law associations across 
     the United States to update the patent pro bono programs in 
     response to the findings of the study.
       (c) Expansion of Income Eligibility.--
       (1) In general.--The Director shall work with and support, 
     including by providing financial support to, existing patent 
     pro bono programs and intellectual property law associations 
     across the United States to expand eligibility for the patent 
     pro bono programs to an individual living in a household, the 
     gross household income of which is not more than 400 percent 
     of the Federal poverty line.
       (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in paragraph (1) may be 
     construed to prevent a patent pro bono program from electing 
     to establish a higher eligibility level, as compared to the 
     level described in that paragraph.

[[Page S7007]]

  


     SEC. 6. PRE-PROSECUTION ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

       (a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a pilot 
     program to assist first-time prospective patent applicants in 
     assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a potential patent 
     application submitted by such a prospective applicant.
       (b) Considerations.--In developing the pilot program 
     required under subsection (a), the Director shall establish--
       (1) a notification process to notify a prospective patent 
     applicant seeking an assessment described in that subsection 
     that any assessment so provided may not be considered an 
     official ruling of patentability from the Office;
       (2) conditions to determine eligibility for the pilot 
     program, taking into consideration available resources;
       (3) reasonable limitations on the amount of time to be 
     spent providing assistance to each individual first-time 
     prospective patent applicant;
       (4) procedures for referring prospective patent applicants 
     to legal counsel, including through the patent pro bono 
     programs; and
       (5) procedures to protect the confidentiality of the 
     information disclosed by prospective patent applicants.

     SEC. 7. FEE REDUCTION FOR SMALL AND MICRO ENTITIES.

       (a) Title 35.--Section 41(h) of title 35, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``50 percent'' and 
     inserting ``60 percent''; and
       (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``75 percent'' and 
     inserting ``80 percent''.
       (b) False Certifications.--Title 35, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in section 41, by adding at the end the following:
       ``(j) Penalty for False Assertions.--In addition to any 
     other penalty available under law, an entity that is found to 
     have falsely asserted entitlement to a fee reduction under 
     this section shall be subject to a fine, to be determined by 
     the Director, the amount of which shall be not less than 3 
     times the amount that the entity failed to pay as a result of 
     the false assertion, whether the Director discovers the false 
     assertion before or after the date on which a patent has been 
     issued.''; and
       (2) in section 123, by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) Penalty for False Certifications.--In addition to any 
     other penalty available under law, an entity that is found to 
     have falsely made a certification under this section shall be 
     subject to a fine, to be determined by the Director, the 
     amount of which shall be not less than 3 times the amount 
     that the entity failed to pay as a result of the false 
     certification, whether the Director discovers the false 
     certification before or after the date on which a patent has 
     been issued.''.
       (c) Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.--Section 10(b) of the 
     Leahy Smith America Invents Act (35 U.S.C. 41 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``50 percent'' and inserting ``60 
     percent''; and
       (2) by striking ``75 percent'' and inserting ``80 
     percent''.
       (d) Study on Fees.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall--
       (A) complete a study of the fees charged by the Office; and
       (B) submit the results of the study required under 
     subparagraph (A) to the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
     Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Scope of study.--The study required under paragraph 
     (1)(A) shall--
       (A) assess whether--
       (i) fees for small and micro entities are inhibiting the 
     filing of patent applications by those entities;
       (ii) fees for examination should approximately match the 
     costs of examination and what incentives are created by using 
     maintenance fees to cover the costs of examination; and
       (iii) the results of the assessments performed under 
     clauses (i) and (ii) counsel in favor of changes to the fee 
     structure of the Office, such as--

       (I) raising standard application and examination fees;
       (II) reducing standard maintenance fees; and
       (III) reducing the fees for small and micro entities as a 
     percentage of standard application fees; and

       (B) make recommendations for such administrative and 
     legislative action as may be appropriate.

  Ms. HASSAN. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered 
read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 2773), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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