| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public accountancy; amending s. |
| 3 | 473.308, F.S.; removing a condition for waiver of certain |
| 4 | certified public accountant licensure requirements; |
| 5 | amending s. 473.312, F.S.; revising a continuing education |
| 6 | requirement for certified public accountant licensure |
| 7 | renewal; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 473.308, Florida |
| 12 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 473.308 Licensure.-- |
| 14 | (4) If application for licensure is made prior to October |
| 15 | 1, 2008, and the applicant has at least 5 years of experience in |
| 16 | the practice of public accountancy in the United States or in |
| 17 | the practice of public accountancy or its equivalent in a |
| 18 | foreign country that the International Qualifications Appraisal |
| 19 | Board of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy |
| 20 | has determined has licensure standards that are substantially |
| 21 | equivalent to those in the United States, or has at least 5 |
| 22 | years of experience as an auditor or accountant in the |
| 23 | employment of a unit of federal, state, or local government and |
| 24 | that employment required the use of accounting skills as a |
| 25 | substantial part of the applicant's duties and was under the |
| 26 | supervision of a certified public accountant licensed by a state |
| 27 | or territory of the United States, the board shall waive the |
| 28 | requirements of s. 473.306(2)(b)2. that are in excess of a |
| 29 | baccalaureate degree. All experience that is used as a basis for |
| 30 | waiving the requirements of s. 473.306(2)(b)2. must be while |
| 31 | licensed as a certified public accountant by another state or |
| 32 | territory of the United States or while licensed in the practice |
| 33 | of public accountancy or its equivalent in a foreign country |
| 34 | that the International Qualifications Appraisal Board of the |
| 35 | National Association of State Boards of Accountancy has |
| 36 | determined has licensure standards that are substantially |
| 37 | equivalent to those in the United States. The board shall have |
| 38 | the authority to establish the standards for experience that |
| 39 | meet this requirement. |
| 40 | Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section |
| 41 | 473.312, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 42 | 473.312 Continuing education.-- |
| 43 | (1)(a) As part of the license renewal procedure, the board |
| 44 | shall by rule require licensees to submit proof satisfactory to |
| 45 | the board that during the 2 years prior to application for |
| 46 | renewal, they have successfully completed not less than 48 or |
| 47 | more than 80 classroom hours of continuing professional |
| 48 | education programs in public accounting subjects approved by the |
| 49 | board. The board may prescribe by rule additional continuing |
| 50 | professional education hours, not to exceed 25 percent of the |
| 51 | total hours required, for failure to complete the hours required |
| 52 | for renewal by the end of the reestablishment period. |
| 53 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |