    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 115-273
    115th Congress

    An Act

    To direct the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and
    Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in
    consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business
    Administration, to study and provide recommendations to promote the
    participation of women, minorities, and veterans in entrepreneurship
    activities and the patent system, to extend by 8 years the Patent and
    Trademark Office's authority to set the amounts for the fees it charges,
    and for other purposes. <>

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
    United States of America in Congress assembled, <> Underrepresented
    Classes
    Chasing
    Engineering
    and
    Science
    Success
    Act of
    2018.
    SECTION 1. <> SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Study of Underrepresented Classes
    Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018'' or the ``SUCCESS
    Act''.
    SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
    (1) Patents and other forms of intellectual property are
    important engines of innovation, invention, and economic growth.
    (2) Many innovative small businesses, which create over 20
    percent of the total number of new jobs created in the United
    States each year, depend on patent protections to commercialize
    new technologies.
    (3) Universities and their industry partners also rely on
    patent protections to transfer innovative new technologies from
    the laboratory or classroom to commercial use.
    (4) Recent studies have shown that there is a significant
    gap in the number of patents applied for and obtained by women
    and minorities.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
    States has the responsibility to work with the private sector to close
    the gap in the number of patents applied for and obtained by women and
    minorities to harness the maximum innovative potential and continue to
    promote United States leadership in the global economy.
    SEC. 3. REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Director, in consultation with the Administrator and
    any other head of an appropriate agency, shall conduct a study that--
    (1) identifies publicly available data on the number of
    patents annually applied for and obtained by, and the benefits
    of increasing the number of patents applied for and obtained

    [[Page 4159]]

    by women, minorities, and veterans and small businesses owned by
    women, minorities, and veterans; and
    (2) provides legislative recommendations for how to--
    (A) promote the participation of women, minorities,
    and veterans in entrepreneurship activities; and
    (B) increase the number of women, minorities, and
    veterans who apply for and obtain patents.

    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
    of this Act, the Director shall submit to the Committees on the
    Judiciary and Small Business of the House of Representatives and the
    Committees on the Judiciary and Small Business and Entrepreneurship of
    the Senate a report on the results of the study conducted under
    subsection (a).
    SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF FEE-SETTING AUTHORITY.

    Section 10(i)(2) of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (Public Law
    112-29; 125 Stat. 319; 35 U.S.C. 41 note) is amended by striking ``7-
    year'' and inserting ``15-year''.
    SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
    (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
    Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
    (2) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means a department, agency,
    or instrumentality of the United States Government.
    (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Under
    Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of
    the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

    Approved October 31, 2018.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 6758:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115-966 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018):
    Sept. 25, considered and passed House.
    Oct. 11, considered and passed Senate.
    DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2018):
    Oct. 31, Presidential statement.