In the event that parts of the federal government experience a lapse of appropriated funding, the USPTO remains open for business as normal. This is possible because the agency has access to prior-year fee collections, which enables the USPTO to continue normal operations for a few weeks. Should the USPTO exhaust these funds before a partial government shutdown comes to an end, the agency would have to shut down at that time, although a small staff would continue to work to accept new applications and maintain IT infrastructure, among other functions. Further information regarding any adjustments to the USPTO's operating status will be posted on the USPTO website and delivered to the news media.
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