ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF PILOT MENTOR-PROTEGE PROGRAM.

SEC. 821. ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF PILOT MENTOR-PROTEGE PROGRAM. (a) One-Year Extension of Pilot Mentor-Protege Program.—Section 831(i) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (10 U.S.C. 2302 note) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking out “1998” and inserting in lieu thereof “1999”; (2) in paragraph (2), by striking out “1999” and inserting in lieu thereof “2000”; and (3) in paragraph (3), by striking out “1999” and inserting in lieu thereof “2000”. (b) Study on Implementation of Pilot Mentor-Protege Program.—(1) The Comptroller General shall conduct a study on the implementation of the Mentor-Protege Program established under section 831 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (10 U.S.C. 2302 note) and the extent to which the program is achieving the purposes established under that section. (2) The study also shall include the following: (A) A review of the manner in which funds for the program have been obligated. (B) An identification and assessment of the average amount spent by the Department of Defense on individual mentorprotege agreements and the correlation between levels of funding and the business development of the protege firms. (C) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the incentives provided to mentor firms to participate in the program. (D) An assessment of the success of the Mentor-Protege Program in enhancing the business competitiveness and financial independence of protege firms. (3) The Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on National Security of the House of Representatives a report on the results of the study not later than March 31, 1998.