A bill approved Monday by the U.S. Senate would require federal agencies to help small businesses with government paperwork.

According to published reports, the bill requires federal agencies to establish "small business ombudsmen" to help with paperwork. It also requires agencies to find ways to streamline paperwork for small businesses, and to track how often small businesses are penalized for paperwork errors.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, says small businesses spend more than $5,000 per employee each year on paperwork.
The House of Representatives passed a version of the bill earlier this year. It is expected to become law after some small differences are worked out between the two bills.