The record

LegislationLegislation· Dec 2024
S 3960 Signed into law

Sponsored by Christopher A. Coons (D)

A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to provide a good faith exception to the imposition of fines for false assertions and certifications, and for other purposes.

Exempts small and micro patent filers from USPTO fines for wrong fee claims if they acted in good faith.

Tradeoff

Lets filers who wrongly claim a patent fee discount avoid fines if they show they acted in good faith. Changes no fee amounts and no other penalties.

What's in it

See official bill text

Passed the Senate by on June 20, 2024. Passed the House by on December 3, 2024. Signed into law.

  1. Senate

    Introduced

    (Mar 14, 2024)

  2. Senate

    Committee on the Judiciary(Mar 14, 2024)

  3. Senate

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Jun 20, 2024)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  4. Senate

    Taken away from the Committee on the Judiciary

    Discharged(Jun 20, 2024)

  5. House

    Received from the Senate

    Received(Jun 21, 2024)

  6. House

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Dec 3, 2024)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  7. House

    Sent to the President

    (Dec 6, 2024)

  8. White House · Signature

    Signed

    Joe Biden (D)

  9. Enacted

    Became law(Dec 17, 2024)