Keeping Innovation on the Policy Agenda
Mike Waring
AUTM Advocacy and Alliances Coordinator
April 8, 2026
One of the reasons AUTM leaders have a regular presence in Washington is because being visible helps ensure access when AUTM’s voice needs to be heard.
The latest example of that was in mid-March. House Judiciary IP Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) held a closed-door briefing for members of the panel in advance of a hearing the following week with new USPTO Director John Squires.
The roundtable included nearly 15 different representatives of various points of view on IP issues. And representing the higher education world was AUTM CEO Steve Susalka. The fact that he was asked to take on this request and agreed to it speaks volumes about the respect AUTM and tech transfer have in the halls of Congress.
Because of Susalka’s presence, he was able to articulate AUTM’s support for three key intellectual property bills in Congress. They include legislation that would help better define what is not patent-eligible under Section 101 of patent law (the PERA Act); a bill to attack the serious inequities with PTAB, the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (the PREVAIL Act); and legislation that would make the issuance of injunctions easier when a patent holder’s patent is adjudged to be infringed (the RESTORE Act). These bills all would make significant and important improvements to the current patent system and help make protecting a patent easier and fairer.
The meeting also included discussion of a pending Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would put into regulation some changes that the Patent Office has already undertaken to make PTAB fairer. That rulemaking has come under fire from the high-tech industry in particular, but AUTM and other higher ed associations support the principles it would enact. We need patent holders to stop being whipsawed by plaintiffs who use PTAB and federal courts as a sort of double whammy to block legitimate patents.
All of you know the power of face-to-face communications. That’s why you and your staff spend so much time cultivating relationships with inventors and investors.
The first rule of business is still as true today as ever – “get to the know the customer.” By having a representative in DC and by regular visits from Susalka and others, AUTM has cemented its place in policymakers’ minds. They know AUTM has data and background they need if they want to enact laws or regulations that will affect the nation’s ability to compete globally. They also know that when AUTM speaks in collaboration with the other higher ed associations [Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), COGR, and AAMC), the higher ed community earns a “seat at the table” when decisions affecting tech transfer are being considered.
Tech transfer must advocate for its own agenda. Without that, it will live or die based on the agenda set by others. And that outcome is not in the best interests of tech transfer or our innovation ecosystem. Please know that AUTM is on the job in Washington looking out for you!