Bill > HR4322

This bill, the Mentor-Protege Cooperation Reform Act of 2016, aims to improve the Department of Defense's (DOD) Mentor-Protege Program, which helps larger companies (mentors) assist smaller businesses (proteges) in obtaining federal contracts. A key provision clarifies the "no-affiliation requirement," meaning that a mentor and protege cannot be so closely related that they are considered a single entity, which would disqualify them from the program. The bill outlines specific procedures for the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the DOD to determine if such an affiliation exists, ensuring that the SBA's regulations on affiliation are considered. Additionally, the bill mandates that the DOD cannot run its Mentor-Protege Program for small businesses unless it first submits a plan to the SBA for approval, promoting better coordination between the DOD and SBA's respective mentor-protege initiatives.