By Isett                                              H.B. No. 3440
         76R2657 JMM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to inactive status for a certified public accountant.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  The Public Accountancy Act of 1991 (Article
 1-5     41a-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding Section
 1-6     12A to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 12A.  INACTIVE STATUS.  (a)  A person who holds a
 1-8     license under this Act and who is not actively engaged in the
 1-9     practice of public accountancy but who intends to return to the
1-10     practice of public accountancy may apply to the board in writing to
1-11     be placed on inactive status.  A person must apply for inactive
1-12     status before the expiration date of the person's license.
1-13           (b)  A person is not required to pay the biennial license fee
1-14     under Section 9(b) of this Act or the increase in fees required by
1-15     Section 9A of this Act during the time the person is on inactive
1-16     status.  The person shall pay to the board an inactive status fee
1-17     in an amount not to exceed $50 for each year the person is on
1-18     inactive status.
1-19           (c)  A person on inactive status may not perform any activity
1-20     regulated under this Act.
1-21           (d)  A person on inactive status is not required to meet the
1-22     continuing professional education requirements under Section 15A of
1-23     this Act while the person is on inactive status.
1-24           (e)  A person on inactive status shall notify the board in
 2-1     writing in order to reenter active practice.  The person shall pay
 2-2     to the board the license fee required under Section 9(b) of this
 2-3     Act and the increase in fees required under Section 9A of this Act
 2-4     for the year in which the person returns to active status.  The
 2-5     board, by rule, may prorate on a monthly basis a fee required by
 2-6     this subsection so that the person pays only that portion of a fee
 2-7     that is allocable to the number of months during which the person
 2-8     is on active status.  On payment of the fees required by this
 2-9     subsection, the board shall remove the person from inactive status
2-10     and place the person on active status.
2-11           (f)  A license holder who returns to active status shall
2-12     comply with the continuing professional education requirements for
2-13     the period commencing on the date the person returns to active
2-14     status.
2-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-16           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.