Ed. Note: The following article is a news release provided by the office of Representative Steve Knight.

A small business bill by Representative Steve Knight, CA-25, passed out of the House Small Business Committee this week with unanimous support.

H.R. 4322, the Mentor-Protégé Cooperation Reform Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives on Jan. 6.

The bill would reform the Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé program to help certain small businesses compete for federal contracts by making it easier for them to receive mentoring from larger, more experienced firms.

“The Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé program could be a huge asset for some of the small firms in our community that are struggling to contract with the federal government,” said Knight. “This bill would go a long way in making the program more accessible to them.”

During this week’s Small Business Committee hearing, H.R. 4322 was incorporated into a package of similar bills called H.R. 4341, the Defending America’s Small Business Contractors Act, which aims to make the federal contracting process easier for small businesses.

The larger piece of legislation received unanimous, bipartisan support from the committee.

“My colleagues on both sides of the aisle recognize the importance of helping small businesses participate in the federal contracting process, and I am pleased they are moving quickly on this issue,” continued Knight.

H.R. 4322 currently awaits assignment to additional committees before it is sent to the House floor for votes.

Representative Steve Knight, R-Antelope Valley, represents California’s 25th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, which includes the communities throughout the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Simi Valleys.