S. 1546 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, May 1, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands what inventions can be patented
Right now, the rules for what can be patented are a bit fuzzy and complicated. This bill would change that by spelling out exactly which things cannot be patented—things like pure math formulas, thoughts that happen only in your head, or genes that exist naturally in humans without any changes. Everything else would be eligible for patent protection.
How it affects you
If you're an inventor or work in tech, biotech, or software, this could make it easier to patent your work since the rules would be clearer and fewer things would be automatically ruled out. Patent lawyers and companies that file patents would also have a more straightforward process to follow.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, May 1, 2025)
Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2025
This bill amends the law relating to patent subject matter eligibility to establish that only specified subject matter (e.g., a natural process wholly independent of human activity) is ineligible for patenting. (Currently, subject matter eligibility is determined by examining whether the claimed invention is directed to certain ineligible categories, and if so, whether there is an inventive concept. Subject matter eligibility is one of several requirements that an invention must satisfy in order to receive patent protection.)
Under this bill, an invention shall be considered to involve patent-ineligible subject matter only if it falls within specified categories, such as (1) a mathematical formula that is not part of a useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition; (2) a mental process that is performed solely in the human mind; or (3) an unmodified human gene as the gene exists in the human body.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1546
A BILL
Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Thomas Tillis (R-NC) · Introduced May 1, 2025 · Commerce · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 1, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”