Representative Scot Matayoshi’s bill to strengthen the State’s procurement process has passed both chambers of the Legislature and now moves to David Ige for his signature. House Bill 526 requires procurement officers to consider specific factors when making contract awards, including past performance, when available.

This bill additionally seeks to appropriate funds for the development and implementation of a past performance database and guide no later than December 31, 2023 for contractors who have worked with the State previously.

The database would include information pertaining to the contractor, the project they were involved in, the timeliness of completion, along with the positive or negative difference between the final cost of the project and its authorized budget. Lawmakers are hoping that the creation of a database helps address issues of repeated inefficiencies and substandard work.

“Contracts should be awarded to the best contractor, not the lowest bidder. This bill will reduce shoddy construction and costly repairs,” said Matayoshi. “It’s time for our state to make smart contracting decisions instead of pinching pennies for low-quality work that costs taxpayers more in the long run.”

Currently, some state contracts may be awarded to the lowest bidder without regard to that bidder’s past performance. This bill attempts to promote additional insight to positively impact the award selection, enhance quality performance, and efficiently utilize taxpayer dollars.