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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 1, 2023 11:21 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ben Waxman and Rep. Steve Samuelson |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Reducing Cell Phone Bills for Pennsylvania Families |
| At 16.62%, Pennsylvania has the seventh-highest combined rate of taxes and other government fees and surcharges on cell phone bills. This comes during a time when 68 percent of American households do not have a landline and rely solely on a cell phone for voice communication. Lower-income households and younger people are more likely to be “wireless-only.” Further, 15 percent of Americans use cellular data on their smartphones as their only method of accessing the Internet, as these families do not have broadband Internet service. With cell phone plans becoming an essential service, it is important that we ensure affordable access. Therefore, we are introducing legislation that would exempt cell phone service from the 6% sales and use tax, as well as the 5% gross receipts tax. Our legislation follows Gov. Shapiro’s plan, which is projected to save Pennsylvania families $124 million per year. Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation so we can help Pennsylvania families save money on the services they need to navigate an increasingly connected world. |
Introduced as HB1138