A bill is moving through the Florida legislature that has the potential to have catastrophic consequences for the CPA profession in Florida.
On April 22, a proposed committee substitute for HB 991 - Community and Economic Development by Rep. Giallombardo passed the House Commerce Committee. This bill – which is the next step on the path to total CPA deregulation in Florida – is now ready to be heard by the full Florida House.
If you are a CPA living in Florida, the Florida Institute of CPAs (FICPA) urges you to contact your state representatives now.
In short, there are two key provisions the FICPA is strongly opposed to:
- The elimination of all licensing boards, including the Florida Board of Accountancy
Those functions are rolled under the Department of Business and Professional Regulation with general bureaucratic staff making decisions rather than the Board of your peer CPAs. - The elimination of all continuing education requirements for CPAs and other regulated professions and trades
As a practical matter, CPAs need CPE in order to stay on top of a changing landscape and evolving profession. But more than that, the elimination of the CPE requirement would put Florida out of sync with the rest of the nation. With the loss of CPE reciprocity between states, Florida CPAs may be required to take and report CPE in other states. With the potential loss of mobility while statutes are open, CPAs would need to obtain additional licenses in other states
Should this bill become law, we are just one legislative action away from the complete elimination of licensure in the state of Florida.
Contacting your local Florida House Representative is simple. The FICPA has already prepared draft messages on your behalf; you may send them as they are or customize your message for greater impact. They suggest you put your location in the subject line of the emails, so the legislators and their staff know you are indeed in their district.
Act Now
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