H.R. 3713: To amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other official insignia of the United States or of any State or local government, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3713: To amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other official insignia of the United States or of any State or local government, and for other purposes.

113th Congress · introduced 2013-12-12 · Commerce · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-12-12 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY-8] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, 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

To amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other official insignia of the United States or of any State or local government, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

Amends trademark registration criteria under the Trademark Act of 1946 to specify that the United States, or any state, municipality, county, political subdivision, or other governmental authority in the United States, may register with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) a trademark that consists of, or comprises, its own flag, coat of arms, or other official insignia. (Currently, an applicant's trademark registration is subject to refusal if the mark consists of, or comprises, the flag or coat of arms or other insignia of the United States, or of any state or municipality, or of any foreign nation.)

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

To amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other official insignia of the United States or of any State or local government, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY-8] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY-8] reported raising $17.9 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-113hr3713.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr3713 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113