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.
Public Law 118-151 · S. 3960 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 17, 2024 · Commerce
Sponsor: Sen. Christopher Coons (D-DE)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Thom Tillis
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.
This act creates a good faith exception to certain fines imposed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Currently, the USPTO may reduce patent-related fees for small and micro entities, and an entity that falsely claims a fee reduction shall be subject to a fine. This act exempts an entity from such a fine if the entity made a good faith assertion or certification that the entity was entitled to a fee reduction.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 7803Identical bill
To amend title 35, United States Code, to provide a good faith exception to the imposition of certain fines, and for other purposes.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Dec 17, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-151.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 6, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 3, 2024FloorFloor · 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 · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3960.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Issa moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jun 21, 2024FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Jun 20, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 14, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.