Bill > HR1038

This bill requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is part of the Department of Labor, to develop and publish a new economic indicator called the "Consumer Price Index for Rural Consumers" (CPI-Rural) starting in January 2026. The CPI-Rural will track monthly changes in typical spending patterns for people living in rural areas of the United States, providing a more targeted measure of inflation that specifically reflects the economic experiences of rural communities. Currently, the BLS produces a national Consumer Price Index that does not differentiate between urban and rural expenditures, so this bill aims to create a more granular and localized understanding of how prices change for rural residents. By establishing this specialized index, policymakers and economists will have a more precise tool for analyzing economic conditions and potential economic challenges faced by rural populations.

Education

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1038/all-info