| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to eligibility requirements for a certified public |
|
|
accountant certificate and to take the uniform CPA examination. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 901.252, Occupations Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 901.252. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. To be eligible to |
|
|
receive a certificate, a person must: |
|
|
(1) satisfy the requirements of Section 901.253; |
|
|
(2) complete at least 150 semester hours or |
|
|
quarter-hour equivalents in board-recognized courses, including an |
|
|
accounting concentration or equivalent courses that meet the |
|
|
education requirements established under Section 901.254 or |
|
|
901.255, as determined by board rule; |
|
|
(3) pass the uniform CPA examination; |
|
|
(4) meet the work experience requirements established |
|
|
under Section 901.256; and |
|
|
(5) pass an examination on the rules of professional |
|
|
conduct as determined by board rule. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 901.254, Occupations Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 901.254. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) To be eligible |
|
|
to take the uniform CPA examination, an applicant must: |
|
|
(1) hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree, or its |
|
|
equivalent as determined by board rule, conferred by a |
|
|
board-recognized institution of higher education; and |
|
|
(2) complete at least 120 [150] semester hours or |
|
|
quarter-hour equivalents in board-recognized courses, including at |
|
|
least 24 semester hours of [an] accounting [concentration] or |
|
|
equivalent courses as determined by board rule. |
|
|
(b) A rule adopted under Subsection (a)(2) may not require |
|
|
that an applicant complete more than 21 semester hours of |
|
|
upper-level accounting courses. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 901.256(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) To be eligible to receive a certificate, a person must |
|
|
complete[: |
|
|
[(1) at least two years of work experience under the |
|
|
supervision of a certified public accountant; or |
|
|
[(2)] at least one year of work experience acceptable |
|
|
to the board, including experience providing a service or advice |
|
|
involving accounting, attest services, management or financial |
|
|
advisory or consulting services, tax services, or other services |
|
|
the board considers appropriate for an accountant, if the person: |
|
|
(1) [(A)] has completed at least 150 semester hours of |
|
|
college credits; or |
|
|
(2) [(B)] holds a graduate degree. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Sections 901.252 and 901.256(a), Occupations |
|
|
Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an application for a |
|
|
public accountant certificate submitted on or after the effective |
|
|
date of this Act. An application for a public accountant |
|
|
certificate submitted before the effective date of this Act is |
|
|
governed by the law in effect on the date the application was |
|
|
submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
|
|
purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Section 901.254, Occupations Code, as amended by |
|
|
this Act, applies only to an application to take an examination |
|
|
submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
|
|
application to take an examination submitted before the effective |
|
|
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
|
|
application was submitted, and the former law is continued in |
|
|
effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |