Plant Patent Amendment Act of 1998
Public Law 105-289 · H.R. 1197 · 105th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 27, 1998 · Commerce
Sponsor: Rep. Robert Smith (R-OR-2)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. John Peterson, Rep. Sam Farr
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Plant Patent Amendments Act of 1998 - Amends Federal patent law with respect to the right in the grant of a plant patent to exclude others from asexually reproducing such plant. Adds the right to exclude others from using, offering for sale, selling, or importing asexually reproduced plants and plant parts.
Directs the United States Patent and Trademark Office to develop and implement computer networks with remote library sites in requesting rural States such that citizens will have enhanced access to information in their State's patent and trademark depository library.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Oct 27, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-289.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 20, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 16, 1998Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Coble moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
- Oct 15, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Amendment SP 3830 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 9, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Coble moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Mar 31, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Mar 20, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.