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National Cooperative Research Act Extension of 1991

Introduced: February 22, 1991 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 19 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 9, 1992
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law.
Mar 3, 1992
Referred to the House Committee on Judiciary.
Mar 3, 1992
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Mar 3, 1992
Received in the House.
Feb 27, 1992
Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 96-1. Record Vote No: 34.
Feb 27, 1992
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 96-1. Record Vote No: 34.
Feb 27, 1992
The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Voice Vote.
Feb 27, 1992
Considered by Senate.
Feb 26, 1992
Measure laid before Senate by motion.
Feb 26, 1992
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate.
Feb 25, 1992
Cloture on the motion to proceed invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 98-0. Record Vote No: 32.
Feb 25, 1992
Motion to proceed considered in Senate.
Feb 21, 1992
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed presented in Senate.
Feb 21, 1992
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.
Sep 11, 1991
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 219.
Sep 11, 1991
Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Biden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 102-146.
Jul 18, 1991
Committee on Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Feb 22, 1991
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Feb 22, 1991
Introduced in Senate
 Amendments to this bill 3

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

2 agreed to 1 pending / other

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 1,700 To make technical corrections. Agreed to Feb 27, 1992
SAMDT 1,699 To encourage cooperation and participation in joint ventures for production. Agreed to Feb 27, 1992
SAMDT 1,698 To grant legislative line item veto recission authority to the President of the United States to reduce the F… Ruled out of order Feb 27, 1992
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

National Cooperative Research Act Extension of 1992 - Amends the National Cooperative Research Act of 1984 (NCRA) to include a joint production venture within the scope of such Act as an activity that shall not be deemed illegal per se under the antitrust laws, subject to specified conditions.

Declares as the purpose of such Act to promote innovation, facilitate trade, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in world markets by clarifying the applicability of the rule of reason standard and establishing a procedure under which firms may notify the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of their cooperative ventures and thereby qualify for a single-damage limitation on civil antitrust liability.

Modifies the definition of a joint research and development (R&D) venture to reflect the extension of the NCRA to joint production ventures. Authorizes: (1) joint venturers to engage in the production or testing of any product, process, or service and to collect, exchange, and analyze production information related to the venture's activity; and (2) the integration of existing facilities to produce or process a new product or technology. Limits recovery to actual damages for joint production ventures.

Makes this Act inapplicable with respect to: (1) the marketing of proprietary information, such as patents and trade secrets developed through a joint venture formed before conveying the enactment of this Act; and (2) the licensing, conveying, or transferring of intellectual property, such as patents and trade secrets, developed through such venture formed after the enactment of this Act.

Expands the filing requirement under the NCRA to specify that, in identifying the parties to the venture, the notification must include a corporation's place of incorporation and the location of its principal executive offices.

Makes provisions of the NCRA limiting recovery to actual damages applicable only to a joint production venture: (1) that provides substantial benefits to the U.S. economy; and (2) whose principal facilities for the production of a product, process, or service are located within the United States or its territories or within a country whose antitrust law accords national treatment to U.S. entities that are parties to joint ventures for production.

Sets forth reporting requirements regarding the effect of such Act on U.S. competitiveness in key technologies and areas of production, including: (1) annual reports by the FTC listing joint ventures filing under the Act and any enforcement actions brought against such ventures by DOJ and FTC; (2) a report by the Secretary of Commerce, within one year, on the treatment of U.S. business entities under the laws relating to joint R&D, joint production, or similar ventures of each foreign nation or community of nations whose business entities have filed under the Act; and (3) triennial reports by the Secretary describing the industrial technologies most commonly pursued by joint ventures for R&D made under this Act and the areas of production most commonly engaged in by joint ventures for production under the Act, analyses of the trends in U.S. industry competitiveness in those technologies and production areas, and an update of the report submitted by the Secretary with respect to the treatment of U.S. business entities under foreign laws to reflect changes in foreign laws or practices.

Provides for interagency cooperation in providing such information and assistance as the Secretary may request in the preparation of such reports.

What's happening now March 9, 1992

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law.

 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 479: National Cooperative Research Act Extension of 1992. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-479/
MLA
"S. 479: National Cooperative Research Act Extension of 1992." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-479/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 479, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-479/.
Markdown link
[S. 479: National Cooperative Research Act Extension of 1992](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-479/)
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