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[115th Congress Public Law 259]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

[[Page 132 STAT. 3664]]

Public Law 115-259
115th Congress

                                 An Act

 
    To amend the Small Business Act to expand intellectual property 
       education and training for small businesses, and for other 
              purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 9, 2018 -  [S. 791]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Small Business 
Innovation Protection Act of 2017. 15 USC 631 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Innovation Protection 
Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 15 USC 648c note.>>  DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the SBA;
            (2) the term ``Director'' means the Under Secretary of 
        Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO;
            (3) the term ``SBA'' means the Small Business 
        Administration;
            (4) the term ``small business concern'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 
        U.S.C. 632(a));
            (5) the term ``small business development center'' means a 
        center described in section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 
        U.S.C. 648); and
            (6) the term ``USPTO'' means the United States Patent and 
        Trademark Office.
SEC. 3. <<NOTE: 15 USC 648c note.>>  FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the USPTO and the SBA are positioned to--
                    (A) build upon several successful intellectual 
                property and training programs aimed at small business 
                concerns; and
                    (B) increase the availability of and the 
                participation in the programs described in subparagraph 
                (A) across the United States; and
            (2) any education and training program administered by the 
        USPTO and the SBA should be scalable so that the program is able 
        to reach more small business concerns.
SEC. 4. SBA AND USPTO PARTNERSHIPS.

    (a) <<NOTE: Effective date. Deadline. Consultation. 15 USC 648c.>>  
In General.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the 
Director, shall develop partnership agreements that--
            (1) provide for the--

[[Page 132 STAT. 3665]]

                    (A) development of high-quality training, including 
                in-person or modular training sessions, for small 
                business concerns relating to domestic and international 
                protection of intellectual property;
                    (B) leveraging of training materials already 
                developed for the education of inventors and small 
                business concerns; and
                    (C) participation of a nongovernmental organization; 
                and
            (2) provide training--
                    (A) through electronic resources, including 
                Internet-based webinars; and
                    (B) at physical locations, including--
                          (i) a small business development center; and
                          (ii) the headquarters or a regional office of 
                      the USPTO.
SEC. 5. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.

    Section 21(c)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(3)) is 
amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (S), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (T), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(U) in conjunction with the United States Patent and 
        Trademark Office, providing training--
                    ``(i) to small business concerns relating to--
                          ``(I) domestic and international intellectual 
                      property protections; and
                          ``(II) how the protections described in 
                      subclause (I) should be considered in the business 
                      plans and growth strategies of the small business 
                      concerns; and
                    ``(ii) that may be delivered--
                          ``(I) in person; or
                          ``(II) through a website.''.

    Approved October 9, 2018.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 791:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018):
            July 18, considered and passed Senate.
            Sept. 25, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>
```