PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 944 PRINTER'S NO. 1028
No. 844 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY CONTI, CIVERA AND REINARD, MARCH 12, 1997
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 18, 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 AND FOR REINSTATEMENT. <--
17 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18 hereby enacts as follows:
19 Section 1. Section 4(a) SECTIONS 4(A) AND 9.2(D) of the act <--
20 of May 26, 1947 (P.L.318, No.140), known as The C.P.A. Law,
21 reenacted and amended December 8, 1976 (P.L.1280, No.286) and
22 amended December 4, 1996 (P.L.851, No.140), is ARE amended to <--
23 read:
24 Section 4. Education Requirements.--(a) Before an
1 individual is permitted to take the examination, the board shall
2 be satisfied that, except as provided in subsection (b), he has:
3 (1) graduated with a baccalaureate degree from a college or
4 university approved at the time of graduation by the Department
5 of Education and also completed at least twenty-four semester
6 credits in accounting[,] AND auditing, business law, finance <--
7 [and] OR tax subjects of a content satisfactory to the board, <--
8 not necessarily as a part of his undergraduate work;
9 (2) graduated with a Master's Degree or other post-graduate
10 degree from a college or university approved at the time of
11 graduation by the Department of Education and completed at least
12 twenty-four semester credits in accounting[,] AND auditing, <--
13 business law, finance [and] OR tax subjects of a content <--
14 satisfactory to the board, not necessarily as part of his
15 undergraduate or graduate work; [or]
16 (3) within two years of the effective date of this act <--
17 CLAUSE, graduated with a baccalaureate degree, Master's Degree <--
18 or other post-graduate degree from a college or university
19 approved at the time of graduation by the Department of
20 Education with subjects of a content satisfactory to the board
21 which meet or exceed the education requirement for licensure as
22 of January 1, 1996; or
23 (4) graduated with a baccalaureate or higher degree from a
24 college or university approved at the time of graduation by the
25 Department of Education and completed a total of one hundred
26 fifty semester credits of post-secondary education, including at
27 least twenty-four semester credits of accounting[,] AND <--
28 auditing, business law, finance [and] OR tax subjects of a <--
29 content satisfactory to the board, and an additional twelve
30 semester credits in accounting, auditing and tax subjects of a
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1 content satisfactory to the board, not necessarily as part of
2 his undergraduate or graduate work.
3 * * *
4 SECTION 9.2. REINSTATEMENT.--* * * <--
5 (D) A PERSON WHOSE LICENSE TO PRACTICE HAS EXPIRED FOR
6 FAILURE TO MAKE BIENNIAL REGISTRATION OR WHO HAS BEEN ON THE
7 INACTIVE ROLL UNDER SECTION 8.2(A.1) OF THIS ACT MAY HAVE THE
8 LICENSE REINSTATED UPON COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:
9 (1) IN THE CASE OF AN INDIVIDUAL, PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD
10 OF SATISFACTORY EVIDENCE OF HAVING COMPLETED [ONE HUNDRED SIXTY]
11 EIGHTY HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN PROGRAMS APPROVED BY THE
12 BOARD UNDER SECTION 8.2(D) OF THIS ACT WITHIN [FOUR] TWO YEARS
13 PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE APPLICATION FOR REINSTATEMENT[, AT
14 LEAST EIGHTY HOURS OF WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITHIN TWO
15 YEARS PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE APPLICATION FOR REINSTATEMENT].
16 (2) PAYMENT OF THE CURRENT BIENNIAL LICENSING FEE PLUS A
17 REINSTATEMENT FEE.
18 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days <--
19 IMMEDIATELY. <--
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