Administration & Information, Dept. of

Wyoming Cost of Living Index

Chapter 3: Collection of Price Data

Effective Date: 12/09/1999 to Current

Rule Type: Current Rules & Regulations

Reference Number: 006.0007.3.12091999

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Chapter 3 Collection of Price Data

Section 1. Methods of Price Data Collection. Price data will be collected by physical inspection of retail establishments, phone survey, mail survey, or as advertised in Wyoming newspapers.

Section 2. Dates for Collection of Price Data for WCLI.

(a) Price data collection for the Second Quarter WCLI. Price data from retail establishments shall occur on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday following July 4, of each year. Data collected through phone surveys will be collected as close to the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday following July 4, of each year as possible. Data collected through the newspaper shall be obtained from those newspapers published during the months of April, May and June. Mail survey data will be collected as close to the end of the Quarter for which the WCLI is being conducted as possible.

(b) Price data collection for the Fourth Quarter WCLI. Price data from retail establishments shall occur on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday following January 1, of the following year. Data collected through phone surveys will be collected as close to the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday following January 1, of the following year as possible. Data collected through the newspaper shall be obtained from those newspapers published during the months of October, November, and December. Mail survey data will be collected as close to the end of the Quarter for which the WCLI is being conducted as possible.

Section 3. Who will Collect Price Data. Price data will be collected by employees of the Division of Economic Analysis or by contractors hired by the Division of Economic Analysis to collect price data.

Section 4. Changes to the Items for which Price Data are Collected. The Division of Economic Analysis will examine the list of items for which price data is collected and update the list as necessary for changes in size, quantity, or other modifications. If an item is to be replaced, price data for the new item must be collected for two collection periods (one year) before the old item is replaced.

Section 5. Treatment of Sales Tax. Price data for items subject to sales and use tax will be adjusted to include the appropriate sales tax for each county.

Section 6. Missing Price Data.

(a) If price data for an item are not available in any county, the regional average price for that item will be used in the county.

(b) If only one price is collected for an item for which there is a reasonable expectation that more than one price can be collected, the regional average for that item will also be added.

Section 7. Accuracy of the Price Data. The Division of Economic Analysis will implement a policy to ensure the accuracy of the data collected.

For questions regarding the content or application of a specific rule, please contact the agency responsible for the rule. A directory of agencies is also available online. For questions about the rulemaking process, please send your questions and comments to Rules@wyo.gov.