Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 41.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025," seeks to amend title 35 of the United States Code. It establishes an interagency task force between the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The task force is designed to coordinate communication and the sharing of information regarding patents for human drugs and biological products. This coordination includes providing technical assistance and facilitating the exchange of information to aid patent examiners. Additionally, the bill requires a report to be submitted to Congress regarding the task force's activities and effectiveness.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +2
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill aims to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the patent examination process for drug and biological product developers.
- Scored +2
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill establishes formal interagency coordination and requires a report to Congress on the task force's activities.
- Scored +1
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill enhances the efficiency of patent examinations, which can benefit all businesses navigating the patent process.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The sharing of sensitive information between agencies poses a potential risk to the privacy of product sponsors.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Accuracy in Patent Examinations: The bill aims to provide patent examiners with better access to information held by the FDA, such as product application, approval, and labeling information. This is intended to ensure accurate representations regarding whether an invention was on sale before a patent was filed (Section 4(a)(3)(A)(ii)).
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Enhanced Information Sharing: The task force will facilitate the sharing of information regarding new patent approvals, human drugs, biological products, new technologies, and scientific trends (Section s4(a)(d)(2)).
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Increased Interagency Coordination: By establishing a formal task force and a memorandum of understanding, the bill promotes better communication between the USPTO and the FDA regarding the evaluation and implementation of patent-related activities (Section 4(a)(b) and 4(a)(c)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Privacy and Confidentiality Risks: The sharing of information between agencies carries the risk of inappropriate or inadvertized disclosure of confidential information. While the bill includes protocols to mitigate this, it acknowledges that such injuries can occur (Section 4(a)(f)(2)).
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Burden of Notice and Consultation: Sponsors of human drugs or biological products must be provided notice before their information is shared and must have a 30-day period to consult with the agency sharing that information, which adds a procedural step to the information exchange (Section 4(a)(f)(2)(B)(i)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill aims to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the patent examination process for drug and biological product developers.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill enhances the efficiency of patent examinations, which can benefit all businesses navigating the patent process.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Improved coordination regarding drug patents may indirectly support more efficient drug development and market entry.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill establishes formal interagency coordination and requires a report to Congress on the task force's activities. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The sharing of sensitive information between agencies poses a potential risk to the privacy of product sponsors.
- 4/10/2025
- Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with amendments. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 41.
- 4/3/2025
- Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- 3/24/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S1804-1805)
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Chuck GrassleyRepublican · Iowa
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont