HI HB582

Establishes a procurement preference for bidders who pledge to hire individuals with disabilities when contracting for goods, services, or construction.

Preference amount equals the percentage of individuals with disabilities out of the bidder's total employees, subtracted from the bid price for evaluation purposes only, capped at 25% of the bid price.

Part-time employees count proportionally based on hours worked in a 40-hour week when calculating the disability employment percentage.

Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a registry of work-ready individuals with disabilities that bidders may use to fulfill their hiring pledges.

Defines "individual with disabilities" as anyone with a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting major life activities, including those determined disabled by DHS, Department of Health, vocational rehabilitation services, or a private physician.