BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 159
	By: Perry
	Business & Commerce
	5/26/2023
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, to be eligible to take the uniform CPA examination, an applicant must hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree, or its equivalent, conferred by a board-recognized institution of higher education and complete 150 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents of college credit in board-recognized courses, including at least 30 semester hours of accounting or equivalent courses as determined by board rule.  

C.S.S.B. 159 amends the number of hours to sit for the CPA exam to 120 hours, including at least 24 semester hours of accounting or equivalent courses.

C.S.S.B. 159: 

Clarifies that an applicant must still complete at least 150 semester hours to be eligible to receive a certificate;

Removes the two-year work requirement, which is no longer the model by UAA (Uniform Accountancy Act); and

Adds language that of the 24-semester-hour requirement, only 21 hours are required to be upper-level accounting courses.

S.B. 159 amends current law relating to eligibility requirements for a certified public accountant certificate and to take the uniform CPA examination.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy in SECTION 1 (Section 901.252, Occupations Code) of this bill.

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy is modified in SECTION 2 (Section 901.254, Occupations Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 901.252, Occupations Code, as follows:

Sec. 901.252. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. Requires a person, to be eligible to receive a certificate, to:

(1) makes no changes to this subdivision;

(2) complete at least 150 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents in Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA)-recognized courses, including an accounting concentration or equivalent courses that meet the education requirements established under Section 901.254 or 901.255 (Special Education Requirement for Part-Time Student), as determined by TSBPA rule; and

(3)-(5) makes no changes to these subdivisions.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 901.254, Occupations Code, as follows:

Sec. 901.254. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. Requires an applicant, to be eligible to take the uniform CPA examination, to:

(1) makes no changes to this subdivision; and

(2) complete at least 120, rather than 150, semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents in TSBPA-recognized courses, including at least 24 semester hours of accounting or equivalent courses as determined by TSBPA rule, rather than including an accounting concentration or equivalent courses as determined by TSBPA rule.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 901.256(a), Occupations Code, as follows:

(a) Deletes existing text requiring a person, to be eligible to receive a certificate, to complete at least two years of work experience under the supervision of a certified public accountant. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 4. Makes application of Sections 901.252 and 901.256(a), Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, prospective.

SECTION 5. Makes application of Section 901.254, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, prospective.

SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2023.