Relating to qualifications for a certificate as a certified public accountant and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to the qualifications for a certificate as a certified public accountant and the practice of public accounting, and includes effective date provisions. Under the bill, an applicant for initial issuance of a certificate as a certified public accountant (CPA) shall have completed at least 150 semester hours of college education, a degree, and no less than one year of experience, or shall have completed at least 120 semester hours of college education, a degree, and no less than two years of experience. A degree required by the bill must be at least a baccalaureate degree and be conferred by a college or university recognized by the board, and the degree program must include a concentration in accounting or another area of study that the board determines to be substantially equivalent. The experience required by the bill shall include providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting, as verified by an applicant, that meets the requirements prescribed by the board by rule. The experience may be in the government, industry, academia, or public sector.