II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 821

To require a commission to study ways to improve the accuracy of the

consumer price indexes and to immediately modify the calculation of

such indexes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 18 (legislative day, MAY 15), 1995

Mr. KERREY (for himself and Mr. SIMPSON) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

A BILL

To require a commission to study ways to improve the accuracy of the consumer price indexes and to immediately

modify the calculation of such indexes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. STUDY REGARDING POSSIBLE BIAS IN

4 CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES.

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF STUDY COMMISSION.—

6 There is established a commission of 7 members, including

7 the Chairman of the Federal Reserve System, to study

8 ways to improve the accuracy of the consumer price in9 dexes in stating the rate of inflation in the United States
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1 economy. Of the remaining 6 members of the commission,

2 the Director of the Congressional Budget Office and the

3 Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall

4 each appoint 3 members.

5 (b) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—

6 (1) HEARINGS.—The commission may hold

7 such hearings, sit and act at such times and places,

8 take such testimony, and receive such evidence as

9 the commission considers advisable to carry out the

10 purposes of this section.

11 (2) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each mem12 ber of the commission who is not an officer or em13 ployee of the Federal Government shall be com14 pensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of

15 the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV

16 of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title

17 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel

18 time) during which such member is engaged in the

19 performance of the duties of the commission. All

20 members of the commission who are officers or em21 ployees of the United States shall serve without com22 pensation in addition to that received for their serv23 ices as officers or employees of the United States.

24 (3) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the

25 Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, includ-
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1 ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates author2 ized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of

3 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while

4 away from their homes or regular places of business

5 in the performance of services for the commission.

6 (4) STAFF.—

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairman of the

8 commission may, without regard to the civil

9 service laws and regulations, appoint and termi10 nate such additional personnel as may be nec11 essary to enable the commission to perform its

12 duties.

13 (B) COMPENSATION.—The Chairman of

14 the commission may fix the compensation of the

15 other personnel without regard to the provisions

16 of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53

17 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classi18 fication of positions and General Schedule pay

19 rates, except that the rate of pay for the other

20 personnel may not exceed the rate payable for

21 level V of the Executive Schedule under section

22 5316 of such title.

23 (5) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—

24 Any Federal Government employee may be detailed

25 to the commission without reimbursement, and such
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1 detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil

2 service status or privilege.

3 (6) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTER4 MITTENT SERVICES.—The Chairman of the commis5 sion may procure temporary and intermittent serv6 ices under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States

7 Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed

8 the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay

9 prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule

10 under section 5316 of such title.

11 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date

12 of the enactment of this Act, the commission shall submit

13 a report to the Secretary of Labor and the Congress which

14 shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and con15 clusions of the commission, together with its recommenda16 tions for such legislation and administrative actions as it

17 considers appropriate.

18 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

19 are authorized to be appropriated $250,000 to the com20 mission to carry out the purposes of this Act. Any sums

21 so appropriated shall remain available until expended.

22 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF CPI CALCULATION.

23 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with re24 spect to calculations made after December 31, 1995, the

25 Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor
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1 shall reduce the annual percentage change in the

2 Consumer Price Indexes, as determined without regard to

3 this section, by .5 percentage point.

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