Ok, so the difference with the current system is that publishing the idea is, in itself, the prior art, rather than serving as evidence thereof. As defined in

Ok, so the difference with the current system is that publishing the idea is, in itself, the prior art, rather than serving as evidence thereof. As defined in the bill, prior art can be "patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention". It's not a great time to be making laws that depend on a formal distinction between published and unpublished, since that distinction has been just about completely smoothed over by now.