A bill to amend the Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C., 2321 et. seq.) to clarify its provisions, and for other purposes.
PL 96-574 (H.R.999), enacted 12/22/1980

94 STAT. 3350 
PUBLIC LAW 96-574—DEC. 22, 1980 
Public Law 96-574 
96th Congress 
Dec. 22, 1980 
[H.R. 999] 
Plant Variety 
Protection Act, 
amendment. 
Repeal. 
An Act 
To amend the Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) to clarify its 
provisions, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 1 of the 
Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 2321) is amended by striking 
out "a bureau" and inserting in lieu thereof "an office". 
SEC. 2. Section 5 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2325) is repealed. 
SEC. 3. Section 8 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2328) is amended by striking 
out "officers" and inserting in lieu thereof "examiners". 
SEC. 4. Section 9 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2329) is amended by (1) 
striking out "published specifications" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"descriptions and (2) striking out "and a file of such other scientific 
and technical information as may be necessary or practicable". 
SEC. 5. Section 10(a)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2330(a)(1)) is amended 
by striking out "specifications for plant variety protection" and 
inserting in lieu thereof "descriptions of plant varieties protected". 
SEC. 6. Section 10(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 23300))) is repealed. 
SEC. 7. Section 10(c) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2330(c)), is redesignated as 
section lOOt)) and is amended by striking out "the useful arts" and 
inserting in lieu thereof "plant breeding". 
SEC. 8. Section 10(d) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2330(d)) is redesignated as 
section 10(c) and is amended by striking out "specifications" from the 
second sentence each time it appears and inserting in lieu thereof 
"descriptions". 
SEC. 9. Section 11 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2331) is amended by striking 
out "specifications" and inserting in lieu thereof "descriptions'. 
SEC. 10. Section 31 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2371) is amended by 
striking out all after the first sentence and inserting in lieu thereof 
the following: "Such fees shall be deposited into the Treasury as 
miscellaneous receipts. There are hereby authorized to be appropri-
ated such funds as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act.". 
SEC. 11. Section 52(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2422(3)) is amended by 
striking out the last sentence. 
SEC. 12. Section 56 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2426) is amended by 
changing the period at the end of the second sentence to a comma and 
adding immediately thereafter the following: "the name of the 
applicant, and whether the applicant specified that the variety is to 
be sold by variety name only as a class of certified seed.". 
SEC. 13. Section 57 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2427) is amended by 
inserting "information regarding" immediately after "for the publi-
cation of'. 
SEC. 14. Section 83(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2483) is amended by 
striking out "seventeen years" in the first sentence and inserting in 
lieu thereof "eighteen years". 
SEC. 15. Section 84 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2484) is amended to read as 
follows: 
PUBLIC LAW 96-574—DEC. 22, 1980 
94 STAT. 3351 
"Sec. 84. Correction of Plant Variety Protection Office mistake. 
7 use 2484 
"Whenever a mistake in a certificate of plant variety protection 
incurred through the fault of the Plant Variety Protection Office is 
clearly disclosed by the records of the Office, the Secretary may issue, 
without charge, a corrected certificate of plant variety protection, 
stating the fact and nature of such mistake. Such certificate of plant 
variety protection shall have the same effect and operation in law as 
if the same had been originally issued in such corrected form.". 
SEC. 16. Section 85 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2485) is amended to read as 
follows: 
"Sec. 85. Correction of applicant's mistake. 
"Whenever a mistake of a clerical or typographical nature, or of 
minor character, or in the description of the variety, which was not 
the fault of the Plant Variety Protection Office, appears in a 
certificate of plant variety protection and a showing has been made 
that such mistake occurred in good faith, the Secretary may, upon 
payment of the required fee, issue a corrected certificate if the 
correction could have been made before the certificate issued. Such 
certificate of plant variety protection shall have the same effect and 
operation in law as if the same had been originally issued in such 
corrected form.". 
SEC. 17. Section 91(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2501(b)) is amended by 
striking out "specification" in the second sentence and inserting in 
lieu thereof "description". 
SEC. 18. Section 93(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2503(a)) is amended by 
striking out 
"Specifications" 
and 
inserting in lieu 
thereof 
"description". 
SEC. 19. (a) Section 111(5) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2541(5)) is amended 
by striking out "propagation prohibited" and inserting in lieu thereof 
" 'Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited' or 'Unauthorized Seed Mul-
tiplication Prohibited'". 
(b) Section 127 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2567) is amended by striking 
out "the words 'Propagation Prohibited'" and inserting in lieu 
thereof "either the words 'Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited' or 
the words 'Unauthorized Seed Multiplication Prohibited'". 
94 STAT. 3352 
PUBLIC LAW 96-574—DEC. 22, 1980 
(c) Section 128(a)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2568(a)(3)) is amended by 
striking out "Use of the phrase 'propagation prohibited' or similar 
phrase without reasonable basis, a statement of this basis being 
promptly filed with the Secretary if the phrase is used beyond testing 
and no application has been filed." and inserting in lieu thereof "Use 
of either the phrase 'Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited' or 'Unau-
thorized Seed Multiplication Prohibited or similar phrase without 
Repeal. 
SEC. 20. Section 144 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2583) is repealed. 
Approved December 22, 1980. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-1115 (Comm. on Agriculture). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 126 (1980): 
Nov. 17, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 8, considered and passed Senate.