Texting may stay tax free in California after bill passes committee

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Keeping text messaging tax-free is looking more and more likely.

A bill passed a committee hearing Wednesday and is now on its way to the assembly floor for a vote.

The bill would prohibit the California Public Utilities Commission from taxing services that the FCC labels "information services".

The FCC put that label on text messages late last year after the CPUC proposed taxing text messaging services to fund cell service for low-income Californians.