132 STAT. 3664 PUBLIC LAW 115–259—OCT. 9, 2018 

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. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017’’. 

SEC. 2. 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. 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) 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— 

Effective date. 

Deadline. 

Consultation. 

15 USC 648c. 

15 USC 648c 

note. 

15 USC 648c 

note. 

Small Business 

Innovation 

Protection Act 

of 2017. 

15 USC 631 note. 

Oct. 9, 2018 

[S. 791] 


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PUBLIC LAW 115–259—OCT. 9, 2018 132 STAT. 3665 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 791: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 

July 18, considered and passed Senate. 

Sept. 25, considered and passed House. 

Æ 

(A) development of high-quality training, including inperson 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 Internetbased 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. 


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