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Retired CPAs and unilateral recognition agreements are all part of the Eighth Edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA) and the Model Rules now on www.nasba.org. Last updated in 2014, the new edition eliminates antiquated references and terminology in various sections of the Act. The January 2018 edition includes the latest Statement on Standards for Continuing Profession Education Programs and the Model Rules contain the guidance to make those standards more directly link to CPAs.

If adopted by a Board of Accountancy, Section 6 (d) would allow a person of retirement age to use the CPA Retired title and to offer some community service, via programs such as VITA, without being required to meet the state’s standard continuing professional education requirement. Some states have already moved forward with this type of legislation.

A more welcoming view of qualified international professionals is provided in the revised Section 6(g) of the UAA, one which does not depend on mutual recognition. This would allow these professionals to be regulated by the State Boards even if that professional’s home country is not considering a similar arrangement for U.S. CPAs. The US would be able to benefit from the services the international professional is ready to provide.

The just released Model Rules, Article 5-9 no longer refers to switching seats for suspected Examination cheaters. The testing centers have tightened their monitoring procedures since the earlier testing rules were written. Similarly the Model Rules for CPE are covering more advanced types of learning products.

As your Board works on new legislation, check the NASBA website for the latest UAA and Model Rules changes. The AICPA/NASBA Uniform Accountancy Act Committee is reviewing the sections on compliance assurance/peer review and NASBA UAA Committee Chair J. Coalter Baker (TX) anticipates exposure drafts on changes will be coming out in 2018. These are evergreen documents and change is inevitable as the profession and the technology to regulate it advance.

NASBA Chair Theodore Long (OH) thanked the members of the AICPA/NASBA UAA Committee and those Boards, associations, firms and others who commented on the various exposure drafts that went into the Uniform Accountancy Act – Eighth Edition and Model Rules for their help and good counsel.