United States · Law · S
S. 1538 (98th)
An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the procedures for new drug applications, to amend title 35, United States Code, to authorize the extension of the patents for certain regulated products, and for other purposes.
Introduced
23 June 1983
Last action
24 September 1984 · President
Status
Became Public Law No: 98-417.
Sponsors
Sen. Mathias, Charles McC., Jr. [R-MD], Sen. Dole, Robert J. [R-KS], Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
10 August 2026
Summary
Patent Law Amendments of 1983 - Authorizes the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks to issue a patent on an invention without the required examination if the applicant waives all legal remedies and pays a stated fee. States that no maintenance fees shall be required for such patents. Permits the Commissioner to require that the total issue fee for all patents be payable within three months of issuance or sooner. Permits the basic fee portion of an international fee to be paid within one month of filing rather than upon filing. States that the designation of the United States as the country in which patent is sought in an international patent filed under the patent cooperation treaty shall continue to have effect until the international application is withdrawn, if a claim for the benefit of a prior filing date is made before such application is ultimately withdrawn. Renders permissible rather than mandatory the receipt from the International Bureau of all international applications and search reports for international applications designating the United States. Permits the Commissioner to fix a later time for the completion of certain requirements than the commencement of the national state of an international application. States that failure to submit a copy of the application by commencement and lack of compliance with other specified requirements shall be regarded as abandonment of the application. (Under current law such receipt is mandatory.) Commissioner to receive a verification of the translation of an international application. Permits a surcharge to be levied as a condition for accepting the national fee or the oath or declaration if these requirements are not met by the commencement of the national stage. Eliminates the special fee and restoration of patent provisions for claims not searched in the international stage and later found not to comply with the requirement for unity of invention under the treaty Prohibits the collection of fees for maintaining a plant patent in force.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
23 June 1983
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Source: IntroReferral
23 June 1983
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
28 June 1983
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks.
Source: Committee
20 July 1983
Committee
Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 98-409.
Source: Committee
15 November 1983
Committee
Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks. Approved for full committee consideration with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Source: Committee
5 April 1984
Committee
Committee on Judiciary. Approved for reporting with amendments favorably.
Source: Committee
26 June 1984
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1016.
Source: Calendars
26 June 1984
Reported
Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Thurmond with amendments. Without written report.
Source: Committee
26 June 1984
Reported
Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Thurmond with amendments. Without written report.
Source: Committee
29 June 1984
Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
29 June 1984
Floor
By Senator Thurmond from Committee on Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 98-547.
Source: Floor
29 June 1984
Committee
By Senator Thurmond from Committee on Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 98-547.
Source: Committee
6 September 1984
Floor
House Incorporated H.R.3605 in This Measure as an Amendment.
Source: Floor
6 September 1984
Passed
Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
6 September 1984
Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
6 September 1984
Floor
Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
Source: Floor
12 September 1984
Passed
Senate agreed to the House amendments. By Voice Vote.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
12 September 1984
Passed
Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendments. By Voice Vote.
Source: NotUsed
19 September 1984
Floor
Measure Signed in Senate.
Source: Floor
20 September 1984
Floor
Presented to President.
Source: Floor
20 September 1984
President
Presented to President.
Source: President
24 September 1984
Became law
Became Public Law No: 98-417.
Source: President
24 September 1984
Became law
Signed by President.
Source: BecameLaw
24 September 1984
President
Signed by President.
Source: President
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.
Documents
4 official files
Public Law (PDF)
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Leesvertaling
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Public Law (PDF)
Public Law · EN · 25 September 1984
Passed House amended
summary · EN · 6 September 1984
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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 29 June 1984
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 23 June 1983
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Sponsors
- Sen. Mathias, Charles McC., Jr. [R-MD] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Dole, Robert J. [R-KS] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · D · Cosponsor
- · ssju00 · Standing
Related records
- related to → Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984
- related to → Patent Law Amendments of 1983
- amends ← To extend the patent on certain drug products.
- amends ← To make technical amendments.
- amends ← To amend the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 to improve the labeling of textile fiber and wool products.
Related across the Repo ecosystem
Direct relationships are identifier-backed. Topic context means shared TopicMembership — not a citation and not causation.
Direct relationships
- Legal framework · An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the procedures for new drug applications, to amend title 35, United States Code, to authorize the extension of the patents for certain regulated products, and for other purposes. · S. 1538 (98th) · US
- Identifier matchPROJECTS_FROM
Same us record 98-s-1538 projected from PoliticalRepo US row.
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/senate-bill/1538
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/98/s/1538
- us · 98-s-1538 · source updated 10 August 2026