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”.
Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018
A BILL
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 conduct a 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 authority of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to set the amounts for the fees that the Office charges, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings; sense of congress
Findings— Congress finds the following:
Patents and other forms of intellectual property are important engines of innovation, invention, and economic growth.
Many innovative small businesses, which create more than 20 percent of the total number of new jobs created in the United States each year, depend on patent protections to commercialize new technologies.
Universities and their industry partners also rely on patent protections to transfer innovative new technologies from the laboratory or classroom to commercial use.
Recent studies have shown that there is a significant gap in the number of patents applied for and obtained by women and minorities.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that the Government of 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 of the United States and continue to promote leadership by the United States in the global economy.
Sec. 3 Study and report
Definitions— In this section:
Administrator— The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Agency— The term agency means a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government.
Director— The term Director means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Study— The Director, in consultation with the Administrator and any other head of an appropriate agency, shall conduct a study that—
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 by, women, minorities, and veterans and small businesses owned by women, minorities, and veterans; and
provides legislative recommendations for how to—
promote the participation of women, minorities, and veterans in entrepreneurship activities; and
increase the number of women, minorities, and veterans who apply for and obtain patents.
Report— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (b).
Sec. 4 Extension of fee-setting authority
Section 10(i)(2) of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (35 U.S.C. 41 note) is amended by striking “7-year” and inserting “15-year”.