Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA), by a vote of 30-4. PITFA is a strong bipartisan bill with more than 220 cosponsors. The bill makes permanent the provisions of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) that temporarily bans states from taxing Internet access or placing multiple or discriminatory taxes on e-commerce.
ITFA was first enacted in 1998 and has been extended three times with enormous bipartisan support. Only two “no” votes were ever cast in the history of these extensions. The most recent extension of ITFA expires on November 1, 2014. By striking the 2014 expiration date from the bill, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act makes this moratorium permanent instead of requiring reauthorization every few years.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), and Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) praised today’s Committee vote in the following joint statement:
“The Internet increasingly serves as a daily requisite for millions of Americans, businesses and schools. It has transformed our economy and how we conduct business, communicate, educate, and live our lives. The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act passed by the Committee today permanently bans taxes on Internet access. This broadly bipartisan bill ensures that access to the Internet is not burdened by unnecessary costs and that Americans can continue to access the Internet tax free.”