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Since the January Board of Directors Meeting, the Regional Directors have all held Regional Conference Calls with their states’ Board Chairs and Executive Directors. After summarizing the NASBA Board’s meeting, the Regional Directors asked the State Boards to share recent developments in their jurisdictions. Some of the items discussed included:

  • Alabama – Celebrated the Board’s centennial on February 17.
  • Arizona – Considering legislation that would only restrict the use of the CPA title, not other designations.
  • Florida – Focusing on CPE rulemaking.
  • Georgia – Looking for ways to decrease the number of late license renewals.
  • Hawaii – New Executive Director James Kobashigawa.
  • Illinois – Planning to hold educators conference.
  • Indiana – Passed competency-based CPE and now working on templates to implement the rule.
  • Louisiana – Changing fee structure.
  • Kentucky – Board is being reorganized.
  • Maine – Interested in the development of NASBA peer review oversight committee.
  • Maryland – New Executive Director Shanai Jordan.
  • New York – Removed small firm exclusion from peer review.
  • North Dakota – New database going live in May. Preparing to separate Board and Society offices with two Executive Directors.
  • Ohio – In process of going paperless.
  • Oregon – Kimberly Fast named Executive Director.
  • Tennessee – Changed misleading firm name rule.
  • Washington – Expect Governor to sign bill that would allow firms from British Columbia to complete audits in Washington.

    Many Boards are working on CPE rules, using the Model Rules that were distributed with the Eighth Edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act for reference. Discussions are going on in the State Boards about the acceptance of nano and blended learning, as well as the requirement for 50 percent of the courses to be technical.

    Several states are considering legislation that would waive fees for active military spouses or expedite their licensing. These and other bills that might impact the Boards are being tracked by NASBA Director of Legislative and Governmental Affairs John Johnson, and he provided input with NASBA Vice President-State Board Relations Dan Dustin to the Regional calls.

    Moderating the calls were: Northeast Regional Director Catherine R. Allen (NY), Southwest Regional Directors C. Jack Emmons (NM), Great Lakes Regional Director Sheldon P. Holzman (IL), Central Regional Director Sharon A. Jensen (MN), Mountain Regional Director Nicola Neilon (NV), Pacific Regional Director Katrina Salazar (CA), Middle Atlantic Regional Director Stephanie M. Saunders (VA) and Southeast Regional Director Casey Stuart (TN).