[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:
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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.