H.R. 1056: Patent Continuing Disclosure Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-03-14 · Commerce · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-03-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Patent Continuing Disclosure Act

Plain summary

Patent Continuing Disclosure Act - Amends federal patent law to prohibit fining for false marking (counterfeiting or imitating patent marks to deceive the public into believing articles are patented) any person who makes, uses, offers for sale, or sells within or imports into the United States, an expired patent item affixed with the word "patent" (along with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO] patent number granted to that person) if, after the expiration of the patent: (1) there is no change in the manufacturing or production process, or (2) the word "expired" is placed before the word "patent" (or the patent number) when a change in the manufacturing or production process occurs. Defines the term "change in the manufacturing or production process" as an intentional expansion, enhancement, improvement, or repair, that suspends, for a period of at least 24 hours, the normal operating procedures through which the item is assembled, made, crafted, manufactured, built, or fabricated from individual components or raw materials, or both.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Patent Continuing Disclosure Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] reported raising $2.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr1056.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr1056 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112