H.R. 5796 · 117th Congress

Patents for Humanity Act of 2022

Introduced on Nov 1, 2021 by Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8). One cosponsor. Became Public Law 117-245.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 117-245
Introduced
Nov 1, 2021
Cosponsors
1
1 from the other party
Policy area
Commerce
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Official title

To amend title 35, United States Code, to establish a competition to award certificates that can be redeemed to accelerate certain matters at the Patent and Trademark Office, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Administrative remedies
  • Advanced technology and technological innovations
  • Department of Commerce
  • Intellectual property
  • Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Dec 20, 2022). Public domain.

Patents for Humanity Act of 2022

This bill provides statutory authority for a program to award certificates that may be used to accelerate certain proceedings and applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The program established under this bill shall be treated as the successor to the existing Patents for Humanity program.

Under this bill, the PTO must hold a competition at least once every two years to award certificates to eligible entities that submit a patent application that addresses a humanitarian issue.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Hakeem S. JeffriesD-NY-8Sponsor

Republicans · 1

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Concur in the Senate Amendment
    Dec 6, 2022· House· Passage· Passed 396–24

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Nov 1, 2021Introduced in House
  2. Nov 1, 2021Introduced in House
  3. Nov 1, 2021 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  4. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  5. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. Apr 27, 2022Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 117-302.
  7. Apr 27, 2022 · HouseReported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 117-302.
  8. Apr 27, 2022 · HousePlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 223.
  9. Apr 27, 2022 · HouseMr. Jeffries moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  10. Apr 27, 2022 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4520-4521)
  11. Apr 27, 2022 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5796.
  12. Apr 27, 2022Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  13. Apr 27, 2022 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4520)
  14. Apr 27, 2022 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  15. Apr 28, 2022 · SenateReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  16. Nov 28, 2022Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  17. Nov 28, 2022 · SenateSenate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  18. Nov 28, 2022 · SenateMeasure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6828-6829)
  19. Nov 28, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6828)
  20. Nov 28, 2022 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6828)
  21. Nov 30, 2022 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  22. Dec 5, 2022 · HouseMs. Jackson Lee moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H8752-8754)
  23. Dec 5, 2022 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the Senate amendment to H.R. 5796.
  24. Dec 5, 2022 · HouseAt the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  25. Dec 6, 2022 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8771-8773; H8779-8780)
  26. Dec 6, 2022Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 - 24 (Roll no. 511).House · Roll call 511
  27. Dec 6, 2022 · HouseOn motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 - 24 (Roll no. 511). (text: 12/05/2022 CR H8752-8753)House · Roll call 511
  28. Dec 6, 2022 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  29. Dec 16, 2022Presented to President.
  30. Dec 16, 2022 · HousePresented to President.
  31. Dec 20, 2022Signed by President.
  32. Dec 20, 2022Signed by President.
  33. Dec 20, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-245.
  34. Dec 20, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-245.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.