Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 2.djvu/1097

 PUBLIC LAW 106-113—APPENDIX I 113 STAT. 1501A-579 Secretary of Commerce shall consider the risk of loss of competitive advantage in international commerc(i or other harm to United States companies as a result of such appointments. "(2) CHAIR. —The Secretary shall designate a chair of each Advisory Committee, whose term as chair shall be for 3 years. "(3) TIMING OF APPOINTMENTS.— Initial appointments to each Advisory Committee shall be made within 3 months after the effective date of the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act. Vacancies shall be filled within 3 months sifter they occur. "(b) BASIS FOR APPOINTMENTS.—Members of each Advisory Committee— "(1) shall be citizens of the United States who shall be chosen so as to represent the interests of diverse users of the United States Patent and Trademark Office with respect to patents, in the case of the Patent Public Advisory Committee, and with respect to trademarks, in the case of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee; "(2) shall include members who represent small and large entity applicants located in the United States in proportion to the number of applications filed by such applicants, but in no case shall members who represent small entity patent applicants, including small business coiacerns, independent inventors, and nonprofit organizations, constitute less than 25 percent of the members of the Patent Public Advisory Committee, and such members shall include; at least one independent inventor; and "(3) shall include individuals with sulistantial background and achievement in finance, managemcmt, labor relations, science, technology, and office automation. In addition to the voting members, each Advisory Committee shall include a representative of each labor organization recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Such representatives shall be nonvoting members of the Advisory Committee to which they are appointed. "(c) MEETINGS.— Each Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the chair to consider an agenda set by the chair. "(d) DUTIES. —Each Advisory Committee shall— "(1) review the policies, goals, perfoirmance, budget, and user fees of the United States Patent and Trademark Office with respect to patents, in the case of the Patent Public Advisory Committee, and with respect to Trademarks, in the case of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee, and advise the Director on these matters; "(2) within 60 days after the end of each fiscal year— "(A) prepare an annual report on the matters referred to in paragraph (1); "(B) transmit the report to the Secretary of Commerce, the President, and the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Representatives; and "(C) publish the report in the Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. "(e) COMPENSATION.— Each member of each Advisory Committee shall be compensated for each day (including travel time) during which such member is attending meetings or conferences of that Advisory Committee or otherwise engaged in the business of that Advisory Committee, at the rate which is the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for level III of the

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