WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today said that Congress’s permanent extension of the “Internet Tax Freedom Act” is a major win for American families and businesses. The law, which was first passed in 1998, bars federal, state, and local governments from charging excise taxes to go online. It has been temporarily reauthorized eight times in the past 18 years.

“Americans should not be taxed for accessing the Internet,” Wicker said. “Initially enacted in 1998 to facilitate use by consumers and open the technology to commerce, the ‘Internet Tax Freedom’ law has helped online access become an integral part of economic growth, job creation, education, and information-sharing.”

The “Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act,” cosponsored by Wicker, is contained in the bipartisan “Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015,” H.R. 644, also known as the Customs Bill. The underlying legislation would modernize and promote legitimate trade, improve enforcement, and strengthen Trade Promotion Authority. The measure now awaits President Obama’s signature to become law.