Senate Bill sb0640e1

    SB 640                                         First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public accountancy; amending

  3         s. 473.308, F.S.; removing a condition for

  4         waiver of certain certified public accountant

  5         licensure requirements; amending s. 473.312,

  6         F.S.; deleting a reference to the term

  7         "classroom"; providing an effective date.

  8  

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

10  

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

15  October 1, 2008, and the applicant has at least 5 years of

16  experience in the practice of public accountancy in the United

17  States or in the practice of public accountancy or its

18  equivalent in a foreign country that the International

19  Qualifications Appraisal Board of the National Association of

20  State Boards of Accountancy has determined has licensure

21  standards that are substantially equivalent to those in the

22  United States, or has at least 5 years of experience as an

23  auditor or accountant in the employment of a unit of federal,

24  state, or local government and that employment required the

25  use of accounting skills as a substantial part of the

26  applicant's duties and was under the supervision of a

27  certified public accountant licensed by a state or territory

28  of the United States, the board shall waive the requirements

29  of s. 473.306(2)(b)2. that are in excess of a baccalaureate

30  degree. All experience that is used as a basis for waiving the

31  requirements of s. 473.306(2)(b)2. must be while licensed as a


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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    SB 640                                         First Engrossed



 1  certified public accountant by another state or territory of

 2  the United States or while licensed in the practice of public

 3  accountancy or its equivalent in a foreign country that the

 4  International Qualifications Appraisal Board of the National

 5  Association of State Boards of Accountancy has determined has

 6  licensure standards that are substantially equivalent to those

 7  in the United States. The board shall have the authority to

 8  establish the standards for experience that meet this

 9  requirement.

10         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

11  473.312, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

12         473.312  Continuing education.--

13         (1)(a)  As part of the license renewal procedure, the

14  board shall by rule require licensees to submit proof

15  satisfactory to the board that during the 2 years prior to

16  application for renewal, they have successfully completed not

17  less than 48 or more than 80 classroom hours of continuing

18  professional education programs in public accounting subjects

19  approved by the board. The board may prescribe by rule

20  additional continuing professional education hours, not to

21  exceed 25 percent of the total hours required, for failure to

22  complete the hours required for renewal by the end of the

23  reestablishment period.

24         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.