S.Amdt. 2628

SA 2628. Mr. LAUTENBERG submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2847, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 203, between lines 23 and 24, insert the following:

SEC. 533. STATE PRICE PARITIES.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) State.--The term “State” means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(2) State price parities.--The term “State price parities” means the differences in consumer price levels between States, or “Regional Price Parities”, as calculated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

(b) Calculation.--The Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis shall regularly calculate and make public as an official statistic, not less frequently than annually, State price parities to determine the differences in consumer price levels between States.

(c) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis shall submit a report to Congress that describes--

(1) the method that will be used to calculate State price parities;

(2) the frequency with which such calculations will be made public; and

(3) the date on which State price parities shall first be published as an official statistic.