,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djge  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #be1 #bjai,ms4 
,velzquez 7for herself and ,mr4         
,stivers7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend   
chapter #aa of title #ce1 ,united       
,states ,code1 to require the voluntary 
collection of demographic information   
for patent applications1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,inventor ,diversity
 for ,economic ,advancement ,act of     
#bjai or the ,,idea ,act4  #b4          
,collection of demographic information  
for patent applications  7a7 ,amendment 
,chapter #aa of title #ce1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new section3      
#abd4 ,collection of demographic        
information for patent applications  7a7
 ,voluntary collection ,the ,director   
shall provide for the collection of     
demographic information1 including      

gender1 race1 ethnicity1 national       
origin1 sexual orientation1 age1        
military or veterans status1 disability 
7as defined in section #c of the        
,americans with ,disabilities ,act of   
#aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abajb771 education
 level attained1 and income level1      
related to each inventor listed with an 
application for patent1 that may be     
submitted voluntarily by that inventor4 
7b7 ,access to information ,any         
information submitted under subsection  
7a7 shall be kept confidential and      
separate from the application for       
patent4 ,the ,director shall establish  
appropriate procedures to ensure the    
confidentiality of any information      
submitted under subsection 7a7 and to   
ensure that demographic information is  
not included when the application for   
patent is examined4  7c7 ,publication of
 demographic information  7#a7 ,report  
required ,not later than ,january #ca of
 each year1 the ,director shall publish 
a report that includes1 except as       

provided in paragraph 7#b71 the         
following3  7,a7 ,the total number of   
patent applications filed during the    
previous year disaggregated by          
demographic information described in    
subsection 7a7 and by class number and  
title4  7,b7 ,the total number of       
patents issued during the previous year 
disaggregated by demographic information
 described in subsection 7a7 and by     
class number and title4  7#b7 ,privacy  
,personally identifying information may 
not be included in the report described 
in paragraph 7#a74  7#c7 ,format ,the   
report described in paragraph 7#a7 shall
 be made available in a format that     
allows the demographic information to be
 cross-tabulated to review subgroups4   
7#d7 ,data availability ,the ,director  
shall make the data underlying the      
report described in paragraph 7#a7      
publicly available online in a format   
that is sortable by demographic         
information described in subsection 7a71
 class number1 and title4  7d7 ,biennial

 report ,the ,director shall submit to  
,congress a biennial report that        
evaluates the data collection process   
under this section1 ease of access to   
the information by the public1 and      
recommendations on how to improve data  
collection4  4  7b7 ,technical and      
conforming amendment ,the table of      
sections at the beginning of chapter #aa
 of title #ce1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended by adding at the end the       
following new item3  #abd4 ,collection  
of demographic information for patent   
applications4  4  7c7 ,deadline for     
biennial report ,not later than #b years
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 and every #b years thereafter1   
the ,under ,secretary of ,commerce for  
,intellectual ,property and ,director of
 the ,united ,states ,patent and        
,trademark ,office shall submit to      
,congress the biennial report required  
pursuant to section #abd7;d7 of title   
#ce1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by 
subsection 7a74