PRINTER'S NO. 944
No. 844 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY CONTI, CIVERA AND REINARD, MARCH 12, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, MARCH 12, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 26, 1947 (P.L.318, No.140), entitled, as
2 amended, "An act relating to the practice of public
3 accounting; providing for the examination, education and
4 experience requirements for certification of certified public
5 accountants and for the licensing of certified public
6 accountants, public accountants and firms; requiring
7 continuing education and peer review; providing for the
8 organization and ownership of firms and for the procedures
9 and grounds for discipline and reinstatement of licensees;
10 prescribing the powers and duties of the State Board of
11 Accountancy and the Department of State; providing for
12 ownership of working papers and confidentiality; regulating
13 the professional responsibility of licensees; defining
14 unlawful acts and acts not unlawful; providing penalties; and
15 repealing existing laws," further providing for education
16 requirements.
17 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18 hereby enacts as follows:
19 Section 1. Section 4(a) of the act of May 26, 1947 (P.L.318,
20 No.140), known as The C.P.A. Law, reenacted and amended December
21 8, 1976 (P.L.1280, No.286), and amended December 4, 1996
22 (P.L.851, No.140), is amended to read:
23 Section 4. Education Requirements.--(a) Before an
24 individual is permitted to take the examination, the board shall
25 be satisfied that, except as provided in subsection (b), he has:
1 (1) graduated with a baccalaureate degree from a college or
2 university approved at the time of graduation by the Department
3 of Education and also completed at least twenty-four semester
4 credits in accounting, auditing, business law, finance and tax
5 subjects of a content satisfactory to the board, not necessarily
6 as a part of his undergraduate work;
7 (2) graduated with a Master's Degree or other post-graduate
8 degree from a college or university approved at the time of
9 graduation by the Department of Education and completed at least
10 twenty-four semester credits in accounting, auditing, business
11 law, finance and tax subjects of a content satisfactory to the
12 board, not necessarily as part of his undergraduate or graduate
13 work; [or]
14 (3) within two years of the effective date of this act,
15 graduated with a baccalaureate degree, Master's Degree or other
16 post-graduate degree from a college or university approved at
17 the time of graduation by the Department of Education with
18 subjects of a content satisfactory to the board which meet or
19 exceed the education requirement for licensure as of January 1,
20 1996; or
21 (4) graduated with a baccalaureate or higher degree from a
22 college or university approved at the time of graduation by the
23 Department of Education and completed a total of one hundred
24 fifty semester credits of post-secondary education, including at
25 least twenty-four semester credits of accounting, auditing,
26 business law, finance and tax subjects of a content satisfactory
27 to the board, and an additional twelve semester credits in
28 accounting, auditing and tax subjects of a content satisfactory
29 to the board, not necessarily as part of his undergraduate or
30 graduate work.
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2 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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