Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building Better Busi-
ness Partnerships Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. MENTOR-PROTEGE PROGRAMS. 
The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 45 as section 46; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 44 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 45. MENTOR-PROTEGE PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—The Administrator is au-
thorized to establish a mentor-protege program for 
all small business concerns. 
‘‘(2) MODEL FOR PROGRAM.—The mentor-pro-
tege program established under paragraph (1) shall 
be identical to the mentor-protege program of the 
Administration for small business concerns that par-
ticipate in the program under section 8(a) of this 
Act (as in effect on the date of enactment of the 
Building Better Business Partnerships Act of 2012), 
except that the Administrator may modify the pro-
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gram to the extent necessary given the types of 
small business concerns included as proteges. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAMS OF OTHER AGENCIES.— 
‘‘(1) APPROVAL
REQUIRED.—Except as pro-
vided in this subsection, a Federal department or 
agency may not carry out a mentor-protege program 
for small business concerns unless— 
‘‘(A) the head of the department or agency 
submits a plan to the Administrator for the 
program; and 
‘‘(B) the Administrator approves such 
plan. 
‘‘(2) BASIS
FOR
APPROVAL.—The Adminis-
trator shall approve or disapprove a plan submitted 
under paragraph (1) based on whether the program 
proposed— 
‘‘(A) will assist proteges to compete for 
Federal prime contracts and subcontracts; and 
‘‘(B) complies with the regulations issued 
under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of the Building Better 
Business Partnerships Act of 2012, the Adminis-
trator shall issue, subject to notice and comment, 
regulations with respect to mentor-protege pro-
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grams, which shall ensure that such programs im-
prove the ability of proteges to compete for Federal 
prime contracts and subcontracts and which shall 
address, at a minimum, the following: 
‘‘(A) Eligibility criteria for program par-
ticipants, including any restrictions on the num-
ber of mentor-protege relationships permitted 
for each participant. 
‘‘(B) The types of developmental assistance 
to be provided by mentors, including how the 
assistance provided shall improve the competi-
tive viability of the proteges. 
‘‘(C) Whether any developmental assist-
ance provided by a mentor may affect the sta-
tus of a program participant as a small busi-
ness concern due to affiliation. 
‘‘(D) The length of mentor-protege rela-
tionships. 
‘‘(E) The effect of mentor-protege relation-
ships on contracting. 
‘‘(F) Benefits that may accrue to a mentor 
as a result of program participation. 
‘‘(G) Reporting requirements during pro-
gram participation. 
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‘‘(H) Postparticipation reporting require-
ments. 
‘‘(I) The need for a mentor-protege pair, if 
accepted to participate as a pair in a mentor- 
protege program of any Federal department or 
agency, to be accepted to participate as a pair 
in all Federal mentor-protege programs. 
‘‘(J) Actions to be taken to ensure benefits 
for proteges., and to protect proteges against ac-
tions by the mentor that— 
‘‘(i) may adversely affect the proteges 
status as a small business; or 
‘‘(ii) provide disproportionate eco-
nomic benefits to the mentor relative to 
those provided the protege. 
‘‘(4) LIMITATION ON APPLICABILITY.—Notwith-
standing the provisions of subsection (b)(1), the pro-
visions of subsection (b)(1) shall apply to the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Any mentor-protege program of the 
Department of Defense in effect on the date of 
enactment of the Building Better Business 
Partnerships Act of 2012. 
‘‘(B) Any mentoring assistance provided 
under a Small Business Innovation Research 
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Program or a Small Business Technology 
Transfer Program. 
‘‘(C) Until the date that is 1 year after the 
date on which the Administrator issues regula-
tions under paragraph (3), any Federal depart-
ment or agency operating a mentor-protege pro-
gram in effect on the date of enactment of the 
Building Better Business Partnerships Act of 
2012. 
‘‘(c) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of the Building Better 
Business Partnerships Act of 2012, and annually 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the 
Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Small Business 
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report that— 
‘‘(A) identifies each Federal mentor-pro-
tege program; 
‘‘(B) specifies the number of participants 
in each such program, including the number of 
participants that are— 
‘‘(i) small business concerns; 
‘‘(ii) small business concerns owned 
and controlled by service-disabled veterans; 
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‘‘(iii) qualified HUBZone small busi-
ness concerns; 
‘‘(iv) small business concerns owned 
and controlled by socially and economically 
disadvantaged individuals; or 
‘‘(v) small business concerns owned 
and controlled by women; 
‘‘(C) describes the type of assistance pro-
vided to proteges under each such program; 
‘‘(D) describes the benefits provided to 
mentors under each such program; and 
‘‘(E) describes the progress of proteges 
under each such program with respect to com-
peting for Federal prime contracts and sub-
contracts. 
‘‘(2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—The head 
of each Federal department or agency carrying out 
a mentor-protege program shall provide to the Ad-
ministrator, upon request, the information necessary 
for the Administrator to submit a report required 
under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 
definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) MENTOR.—The term ‘mentor’ means a 
for-profit business concern, of any size, that— 
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