Louisiana Cellphone Tax For Deaf Services Signed Into Law

Tired of different cell phone bills every month?  Well, Louisiana cellphone bills will be going up later this year.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday that he has signed into law a bill bringing a new 4.5-cent monthly tax on cellphones.

The tax money will pay for technology assistance and services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Current law has a 5-cent monthly tax on landline phones, with the money being given to the Telecommunications for the Deaf Fund. The bill will drop that rate to 4.5 cents a month but expand the tax to wireless cell phone services.

The tax change takes effect Oct. 1.  The new tax will raise an estimated $4.7 million annually.