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Senator introduces bill to extend textbook tax exemption to student devices; DFA estimates $4.4M revenue impact
Summary
Senate Bill 244 would treat student instructional devices the same as textbooks for the state sales-and-use tax exemption; Bryant Schools superintendent and DFA testified about district costs and an estimated $4.4 million revenue hit in FY2022. The committee heard testimony and did not vote.
Senator Kim Hammer introduced Senate Bill 244 to the Senate Revenue and Tax Committee, seeking to extend the state sales-and-use tax exemption that currently applies to textbooks to include student electronic devices used for instruction. Hammer told the committee the change is meant to reflect districts’ shift from hardback textbooks to tablets, Chromebooks and iPads, especially during recent remote‑learning (AMI) periods.
Karen Walters, superintendent of Bryant Schools, testified in support. Walters said districts “very rarely buy a textbook anymore” and that student devices are essential for virtual instruction. She told the committee that, for her district, the…
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