,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bghg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #af1 #bjai,mr4  
,lipinski introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,education and ,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
mandate the monthly formulation and     
publication of a consumer price index   
specifically for senior citizens for the
 purpose of establishing an accurate    
,social ,security ,,cola for such       
citizens4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,cpi for ,seniors  
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,findings ,the      
,congress finds the following3  7#a7    
,each year the ,bureau of ,labor        
,statistics of the ,department of ,labor
 prepares and publishes consumer price  
indices 7the most notable being the     
,consumer ,price ,index or ,,cpi7 that  
measure the rate of inflation in the    
economy of the ,united ,states4  7#b7 ,a
 derivative of the ,,cpi is used to     
determine an annual cost-of-living      
adjustment 7hereinafter referred to as  

,,cola7 for millions of senior citizens 
7individuals aged #fb and over7 who     
depend on their respective ,social      
,security benefits4  7#c7 ,the ,social  
,security ,,cola is calculated using the
 ,consumer ,price ,index for ,urban     
,wage ,earners and ,clerical ,workers   
7hereinafter referred to as ,,cpi-,w71 a
 subset of the population covered by the
 ,consumer ,price ,index for ,all ,urban
 ,consumers 7hereinafter referred to as 
,,cpi-,u74  7#d7 ,while the experimental
 ,consumer ,price ,index for ,americans 
#fb ,years of ,age and ,older           
7hereinafter referred to as ,,cpi-,e7 is
 a more accurate measure of the average 
price of consumer goods and services    
purchased by senior citizens than the   
,,cpi-,w1 it too is derived from the    
,,cpi-,u4  7#e7 ,according to numerous  
credible authorities1 the present       
methods 7,,cpi-,u1 ,,cpi-,w1 and        
,,cpi-,e to a lesser extent7 used to    
measure inflation are flawed and        
deficient in measuring the average price

 of consumer goods and services         
purchased by senior citizens1 and the   
overall impact of inflation on such     
citizens4  7#f7 ,the present sampling   
regarding senior citizens is too small  
under the methods referred to in        
paragraph 7#e71 creating an opportunity 
for sampling error4  7#g7 ,prices used  
under the methods referred to in        
paragraph 7#e7 are based on geographic  
areas1 retail outlets1 and sample items 
used and purchased by younger consumers 
and are not necessarily representative  
of the geographic areas1 retail outlets1
 and sample items used and purchased by 
senior citizens4  7#h7 ,the locations   
used under the methods referred to in   
paragraph 7#e7 are urban locations that 
do not reflect the economic challenges  
faced in rural communities1 which often 
have a far larger demographic segment of
 senior citizens4  7#i7 ,senior citizens
 neither have the flexibility or the    
ability that younger consumers have to  
substitute necessary purchases in       

response to changes in prices1 nor the  
same options as younger consumers have  
to supplement their income4  7#aj7      
,premium increases for part ,b of       
,medicare1 part ,d of ,medicare1 and    
other health care costs affecting senior
 citizens are not adequately considered 
under the methods referred to in        
paragraph 7#e74  7#aa7 ,the cost of     
taxes on ,social ,security income is not
 considered under the methods referred  
to in paragraph 7#e71 thus putting      
senior citizens at a greater economic   
disadvantage each year4  #c4 ,mandate   
the monthly formulation and publication 
of a consumer price index for seniors   
7a7 ,establishment of new ,,cpi ,the    
,bureau of ,labor ,statistics of the    
,department of ,labor shall prepare and 
publish an index monthly to be known as 
the ,consumer ,price ,index for ,seniors
 7hereinafter referred to as ,,cpi-,s7  
that indicates monthly changes in       
expenditures for consumption that are   
typical for individuals in the ,united  

,states who are #fb years of age or     
older4  7b7 ,submission to ,congress    
,the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics of   
the ,department of ,labor shall submit  
to the ,joint ,economic ,committee a    
description of the actions taken by such
 ,bureau to meet the requirements of    
this section not later than #f months   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 and semi-annually thereafter4  7c7
 ,authorization of appropriations ,there
 are authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out   
this section4