Mark Up: The process by which a congressional committee or state legislative session debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation. The Senate Judiciary Committee "marked up" the PATENT Act this week.

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  FPC Survey: REALTORS Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo

Please take a minute to fill out this breif FPC Survey informing us of your experience during the 2015 REALTORS Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo in Washington, D.C. We hope you all had a successful visit and we look forward to your feedback on how we can improve your experience in the future. Thank you in advance for your input.

  Targeted Senate Call for Action on Patent Troll Legislation

On June 4, the Senate Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly approved S. 1137 the PATENT Act by a vote of 16-4. In advance of the Committee’s action, NAR activated our network of FPCs who work with Senators assigned to this Committee to reinforce the importance of the legislation.  Thanks to all the Senate FPCs who took action! As you can see, it made a difference.

This legislation is a carefully balanced set of patent litigation reforms aimed at curbing abusive patent litigation at the hands of “patent trolls.”  The legislation is now expected to be brought to the Senate floor sometime in July.

Realtors across the country have received threatening letters and lawsuits from law firms representing patent holders.  These letters or lawsuits demand licensing fees to use common business tools such as drop down menu’s on website and the scanner function on a copier.  These Patent Trolls buy vague patents and use them to turn everyday business practices into potential lawsuits. We and other small businesses have been the victims of these trolls.

NAR together with our partners in the United for Patent Reform Coalition support this effort, and while we continue to work to improve the legislation, we are pleased with this result. We will continue to work with the Senate to pass a package of reforms that provide Realtors relief from abusive litigation.

For more information on the patent reform issue click here.

  FPC Reception Photos from the REALTORS Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo

Thanks to all of those FPCs who joined us for the FPC Reception at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. during our May legislative meetings. Please click here to view fun pictures from the event. It was a wonderful turnout and an enjoyable time had by all.

  REMINDER: FPCs Submit Your Expenses

Please file your expenses to your state, following state reimbursement rules, as soon as possible in order to receive your $1000 stipend for the REALTORS Legislative Meeting and Trade Expo in Washington, D.C. Once received, states should then submit one invoice to NAR for the entire state FPC delegation that attended the meetings and are requesting the stipend. FPCs, please do not send your expenses directly to NAR. The deadline for states to submit invoices is July 1, 2015. Please email your invoice to govcpapay@realtors.org. For questions about who to contact in your state or other queries, please contact Victoria Givens at vgivens@realtors.org

  NAR Leadership Meets with Secretary Castro

On May 27th, NAR 2016 First Vice President, Elizabeth Mendenhall, represented NAR at a roundtable discussion in Missouri. The roundtable was presented by Congressman Luetkemeyer (R-MO) and featured HUD Secretary Julian Castro. Mendenhall brought up concerns with FHA's condominium rules. Secretary Castro responded that FHA is actively working on a new condo rule, and specifically mentioned the owner/occupancy ratio as one of the issues being addressed.

  NAR Submits Comments on Regulatory Relief Bill

On May 21, the Senate Banking Committee held a "mark-up" to debate and vote on the "Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015," legislation aimed at removing some regulatory barriers that are currently restricting credit availability for many Americans. NAR sent a letter to Chairman Shelby (R-AL) highlighting the need for Congress to focus their efforts on providing regulatory relief to small community-based financial institutions. Additionally, NAR urged the Senate Banking Committee to continue to work together to pass bipartisan legislation that will moderate the regulatory burdens faced by small community banks, while maintaining responsible protections for consumers. Read NAR’s Letter here.

**FPC Weekly Newsletters are now online!