AB20: Bill Text

LRB-0779/1

MPG:kjf:rs

2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

2013 Assembly BILL 20

February 15, 2013 - Introduced by Representatives Kooyenga, Spiros, Knudson, Marklein, Kapenga, Steineke, Smith, Bernier, Sanfelippo and Stone, cosponsored by Senators Taylor and Grothman. Referred to Committee on Government Operations and State Licensing.

AB20,1,3 An Act to amend 442.04 (2) and 442.04 (4) (a) of the statutes; relating to: the notice and degree requirements for the examination to practice as a certified public accountant.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a person may not take the examination required to become a certified public accountant in this state unless the person has received a bachelor's or higher degree with an accounting concentration or with experience reasonably equivalent to an accounting concentration from an institution of higher education accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (now known as the Higher Learning Commission) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or its regional equivalent.

This bill broadens the qualifying institutions to include any institution of higher education that is accredited by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the secretary of the federal Department of Education.

Also under current law, the Accounting Examining Board (board) is required to publish two notices of an examination to become a certified public accountant in each of at least two daily newspapers, one in the city of Milwaukee and one in the city of Madison. The board must publish the second notice in each of those newspapers at least 30 days before the date of an examination, and the board must give written notice of the time and place of an examination to any person who applies to the board to take the examination before the board has published a notice of that examination.

The bill replaces those notice requirements with the requirement that the board give public notice of an examination to become a certified public accountant at least 30 days before the date of the examination. The bill does not specify the manner of that public notice.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB20,1 Section 1. 442.04 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB20,2,12 442.04 (2) Examinations shall be held by the The examining board shall hold an examination at least once in each year at such times and places as are a time and place determined by the examining board. Notice of the time and place The examining board shall give public notice of each examination shall be published, as a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, in at least one daily newspaper published in the city of Milwaukee, and in at least one daily newspaper published in the city of Madison, with the last insertion not less than at least 30 days prior to the date of such the examination. Not less than 30 days prior to each examination, each applicant who has made inquiry prior to the first insertion, shall be notified by mail by the department, at the address mentioned in the application, of the time and place of the examination.

AB20,2 Section 2. 442.04 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB20,2,18 442.04 (4) (a) In this subsection, "institution" means a bachelor's degree-granting institution of higher education accredited by the commission on institutions of higher education of the north central association of colleges and schools or its regional equivalent an accrediting agency that is recognized by the secretary of the federal department of education.

AB20,3 Section 3. Initial applicability.

AB20,3,3 (1) This act first applies to an application for a certificate as a certified public accountant that is pending with the accounting examining board on the effective date of this subsection.

AB20,3,4 (End)