As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on September 10, 2014
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5108 would have a negligible effect on net discretionary spending over the 2015-2019 period. Enacting H.R. 5108 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 5108 would authorize the Law School Clinic Certification Program at the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for 10 years after enactment of the bill. In 2008, PTO established the Law School Clinic Certification Pilot Program, which allows students at participating law schools to practice patent or trademark law before the agency under the guidance of a faculty supervisor in the school’s law clinic. Currently, 45 schools participate in the program, which costs about $200,000 each year to operate.
Based on information from PTO, CBO expects that any additional actions the agency would take to implement H.R. 5108 would not have a significant effect on the agency’s workload, and thus, its spending. In addition, PTO is authorized to collect fees sufficient to offset its operating expenses; therefore, CBO estimates that the net budgetary effect of implementing H.R. 5108 would be negligible, assuming appropriations actions consistent with the agency’s authorities.
H.R. 5108 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
