Legislative Briefs

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By the end of May 2021, 39 jurisdictional legislatures will have adjourned their 2021 legislative sessions and an additional six legislatures will do the same by the end of June; this will leave 10 remaining jurisdictions in session until December 2021. Unlike 2020, when state legislatures across the country convened late due to the Covid-19 pandemic or were delayed during session—or in some cases cut their sessions short—the lessons learned in 2020 provided a sound roadmap on how legislatures could operate safely and effectively, allowing them to do so.

Advancing the UAA

• CPA individual mobility – CNMI has introduced legislation to adopt CPA individual mobility. As of today, 53 jurisdictions have adopted individual mobility.
• CPA firm mobility – Alaska, CNMI, Maine and South Carolina have introduced legislation to adopt CPA firm mobility. Massachusetts recently adopted CPA firm mobility. As of today, 30 jurisdictions have adopted firm mobility.
• CPE reciprocity – Florida introduced legislation to adopt CPE reciprocity.
• AICPA Code of Professional Conduct – Massachusetts’ firm mobility legislation also included adopting the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct.
• CPA firm ownership – CNMI and New York have active legislation that would allow non-CPAs to own a minority share in CPA firms. As of today, 52 jurisdictions have adopted a simple majority of CPA ownership.

CNMI – On the Move in 2021

NASBA has been working with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Board of Accountancy to update and modernize their Practice Act. Approximately 98 percent of the proposed rewrite comes directly from the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA). This major piece of legislation was recently introduced, which includes CPA Individual and Firm Mobility, CPA firm ownership, and other substantial changes found in the UAA.

State ARPL Coalition Halts Occupational Licensing Legislation in West Virginia

A state-run Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) coalition in West Virginia, which included the West Virginia Board of Accountancy and West Virginia Society of CPAs, were able to come together in the 2021 legislative session and defeat occupational licensing legislation. Read more about the efforts of this coalition in the Journal of Accountancy and about ARPL.