I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6390 
To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to study 
and identify best practices for closing the gender, race, and income 
gap in patenting rates for certain small business concerns, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 16, 2018 
Mrs. COMSTOCK (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. COSTA, Mr. HASTINGS, 
Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. LIPINSKI, Ms. CLARKE of New York, and Mr. 
PETERS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on the Judi-
ciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Adminis-
tration to study and identify best practices for closing 
the gender, race, and income gap in patenting rates 
for certain small business concerns, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:31 Jul 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6390.IH
H6390
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Study of Underrep-
resented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Suc-
cess Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘SUCCESS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Patents and other forms of intellectual 
property are important engines of innovation, inven-
tion, and economic growth. 
(2) Many innovative small businesses, which 
create over 20 percent of the total number of new 
jobs created in the United States each year, depend 
on patent protections to commercialize new tech-
nologies. 
(3) Universities and their industry partners also 
rely on patent protections to transfer innovative new 
technologies from the laboratory or classroom to 
commercial use. 
(4) Recent studies have shown that there is a 
significant gap in the number of patents applied for 
and obtained by women, socially disadvantaged indi-
viduals, and economically disadvantaged individuals 
and the number of patents applied for and obtained 
by individuals from other groups. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the United States has the responsibility to work 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:31 Jul 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6390.IH
H6390
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
with the private sector to close the gap in the number of 
patents applied for and obtained by women, socially dis-
advantaged individuals, and economically disadvantaged 
individuals to harness the maximum innovative potential 
and continue to promote United States leadership in the 
global economy. 
SEC. 3. REPORT. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator of the Small Busi-
ness Administration, in consultation with the Under Sec-
retary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director 
of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and 
any other head of an appropriate Federal agency, shall 
conduct a study that— 
(1) identifies the benefits of increasing the 
number of patents applied for and obtained by— 
(A) small business concerns owned and 
controlled by women; and 
(B) small business concerns owned and 
controlled by socially and economically dis-
advantaged individuals; and 
(2) provides legislative recommendations for 
how to— 
(A) promote the participation of women, 
socially disadvantaged individuals, and economi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:31 Jul 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6390.IH
H6390
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
meaning given the term under section 8(d)(3)(C) of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(3)(C)). 
(3) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN
OWNED
AND 
CONTROLLED BY WOMEN.—The term ‘‘small busi-
ness concern owned and controlled by women’’ has 
the meaning given the term under section 3(n) of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(n)). 
(4) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED INDIVIDUAL.— 
The term ‘‘socially disadvantaged individual’’ has 
the meaning given the term under section 8(a)(5) of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(5)). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:31 Jul 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6390.IH
H6390
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS