The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee approved a bill Thursday designed to expand small-business opportunities for federal work, despite complaints from leading trade groups.

The bill, S 2989, would require agencies to reserve some prime contracts for small businesses. Contractor associations contend that small businesses already do quite well under the contracting programs that would be targeted by the bill and say requiring small-business set-asides in the programs could limit opportunities for small businesses.

But the bill that passed the committee retained that provision, an action that was "very disappointing," said Larry Allen, president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, who had been lobbying the committee for changes to the bill.

The bill still needs to be voted on by the full Senate and House before becoming law.