On March 6, 2025, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the FIRM Act, a bill that would prohibit financial regulators from considering reputational risk as a factor in their assessment of financial depository institutions. On April 8, Congressmen Andy Barr (R-KY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) introduced a companion bill to the House of Representatives. The bills are a response to bipartisan concern about improper “debanking,” the practice of banks shutting down accounts of or refusing services to high-risk customers. While banks have broad discretion over customer accounts, some policymakers believe that banks have unfairly restricted access to financial services for certain groups and industries out of concern about their associated reputational risk.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted seven requests for Director Review in the first quarter of 2025 and reported denying fifty-three requests during this same period. By comparison, the USPTO granted four requests for Director review in the last quarter of 2024 and reported denying 38 requests. The latest Director Review opinion suggests a policy shift towards more discretionary denials of IPR petitions, even with a Sotera stipulation.