PRINTER'S NO. 1325

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1190 Session of 1981


        INTRODUCED BY VROON, PITTS, JOHNSON AND NAHILL, APRIL 21, 1981

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, APRIL 21, 1981

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of May 26, 1947 (P.L.318, No.140), entitled, as
     2     amended, "An act relating to the public practice of certified
     3     public accountants; providing for the certification of
     4     persons desiring to practice, the registrations of public
     5     accountants, requiring continuing education for registrants,
     6     and the listing of persons engaged in practicing as certified
     7     public accountants and public accountants, and for the
     8     suspension and revocation of such certificates, subject to
     9     appeal and for their reinstatement; prescribing the powers
    10     and duties of the State Board of Examiners of Public
    11     Accountants and the Department of State; providing for
    12     ownership of working papers; defining unlawful acts and acts
    13     not unlawful; providing penalties, and repealing existing
    14     laws," providing exceptions for certain prohibitions relating
    15     to the use of fictitious names.

    16     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    17  hereby enacts as follows:
    18     Section 1.  Clause (1) of section 8.6, act of May 26, 1947
    19  (P.L.318, No.140), known as "The C.P.A. Law," added December 8,
    20  1976 (P.L.1280, No.286), is amended to read:
    21     Section 8.6.  Corporations, Composed of Certified Public
    22  Accountants and Public Accountants or Solely of Public
    23  Accountants.--A professional corporation or a professional
    24  association, composed of certified public accountants and public

     1  accountants or solely of public accountants, organized under the
     2  laws of this Commonwealth and engaged in the practice of public
     3  accounting in this Commonwealth as public accountants, shall,
     4  within twelve (12) months after the enactment of this act,
     5  register with the board and file with the board a copy of its
     6  Articles of Incorporation, or Articles of Association, and a
     7  copy of its bylaws, and such professional corporation, or
     8  professional association shall at all times have the following
     9  characteristics:
    10     (1)  The name under which the professional corporation or
    11  professional association render professional services shall
    12  contain only the name of the public accountant in the case of a
    13  sole practitioner, the names of one or more of the present or
    14  former associates or shareholders or of partners who were
    15  associated with a predecessor accounting firm. No name of a
    16  professional corporation, or professional association shall
    17  include the words certified public accountant, public
    18  accountant, or any abbreviations thereof. Impersonal or
    19  fictitious names, as well as names which indicate a specialty,
    20  are prohibited: Provided, however, That this prohibition will
    21  not be applicable to or affect any professional corporation or
    22  professional association which had operated under an impersonal
    23  or fictitious name for at least ten years prior to December 8,
    24  1976.
    25     * * *
    26     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.



    A20L63ML/19810H1190B1325         - 2 -