North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S321 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 321
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS35125-NN-24
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Accounting Workforce Development Act. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Britt, Overcash, and Lazzara (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 19, 2025~~
11		-	~~S321 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS35125 -NN-24
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO MODIFY THE EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR 2
14	15		CERTIFICATION AS A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT . 3
15	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
16	17		SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 93-12 reads as rewritten: 5
17	18		"§ 93-12. Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners. 6
18	19		The name of the State Board of Accountancy is hereby changed to State Board of Certified 7
19	20		Public Accountant Examiners and said name State Board of Certified Public Accountant 8
20	21		Examiners is hereby substituted for the name State Board of Accountancy wherever the latter 9
21	22		name appears or is used in Chapter 93 of the General Statutes. Said Board is created as an agency 10
22	23		of the State of North Carolina and shall consist of seven members to be appointed by the 11
23	24		Governor, five persons to be holders of valid and unrevoked certificates as certified public 12
24	25		accountants issued under the provisions of this Chapter and two persons who are not certified 13
25	26		public accountants who shall represent the interest of the public at large. Members of the Board 14
26	27		shall hold office for the term of three years and until their successors are appointed. Appointments 15
27	28		to the Board shall be made under the provisions of this Chapter as and when the terms of the 16
28	29		members of the present State Board of Accountancy expire; provided, that all future 17
29	30		appointments to said Board shall be made for a term of three years expiring on the thirtieth day 18
30	31		of June. All Board members serving on June 30, 1980, shall be eligible to complete their 19
31	32		respective terms. No member appointed to a term on or after July 1, 1980, shall serve more than 20
32	33		two complete consecutive terms. The powers and duties of the Board shall be as follows: 21
33	34		… 22
34	35		(5) To issue certificates of qualification admitting to practice as certified public 23
35	36		accountants, each applicant who, having the qualifications herein specified, 24
36	37		has passed an examination to the satisfaction of the Board, in "accounting," 25
37	38		"auditing," "business law," and other related subjects. 26
38	39		A person is eligible to take the examination given by the Board, or to 27
39	40		receive a certificate of qualification to practice as a certified public 28
40	41		accountant, if the person is a citizen of the United States, has declared the 29
41	42		intention of becoming a citizen, is a resident alien, or is a citizen of a foreign 30
42	43		jurisdiction which extends to citizens of this State like or similar privileges to 31
43	44		be examined or certified, is 18 years of age or over, and is of good moral 32
44	45		character. 33
45	46		To be eligible to take the examination given by the Board, a person shall 34
46	47		submit evidence satisfactory to the Board that the person holds a bachelors 35
47		-	bachelor's or higher degree from a college or university that is accredited by 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 321-First Edition
	48	+	bachelor's or higher degree from a college or university that is accredited by 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 18, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 321
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS35125-NN-24
49	54		one of the regional accrediting associations or from a college or university 1
50	55		determined by the Board to have standards that are substantially equivalent to 2
51	56		a regionally accredited institution. The degree studies shall include a 3
52	57		concentration in accounting as prescribed by the Board or shall be 4
53	58		supplemented with courses that are determined by the Board to be 5
54	59		substantially equivalent to a concentration in accounting. 6
55	60		The Board may, in its discretion, waive the education requirement of any 7
56	61		candidate if the Board is satisfied from the result of a special written 8
57	62		examination given the candidate by the Board to test the candidate's 9
58	63		educational qualifications that the candidate is as well qualified as if the 10
59	64		candidate met the education requirements specified above. The Board may 11
60	65		provide by regulation for the general scope of such examinations and may 12
61	66		obtain such advice and assistance as it deems appropriate to assist it in 13
62	67		preparing, administering and grading such special examinations. 14
63	68		To be eligible to receive a certificate of qualification to practice as a 15
64	69		certified public accountant, a person shall submit evidence satisfactory to the 16
65	70		Board that: 17
66	71		a. The person meets one of the following educational requirements: 18
67	72		1. The person has completed 150 semester hours and received a 19
68	73		bachelors bachelor's or higher degree with a concentration in 20
69	74		accounting and other courses that the Board may require from 21
70	75		a college or university that is accredited by a regional 22
71	76		accrediting association or from a college or university 23
72	77		determined by the Board to have standards that are 24
73	78		substantially equivalent to those of a regionally accredited 25
74	79		institution. 26
75	80		2. The person has received a bachelor's degree with a 27
76	81		concentration in accounting and other courses that the Board 28
77	82		may require from a college or university that is either 29
78	83		accredited by a regional accrediting association or determined 30
79	84		by the Board to have standards substantially equivalent to 31
80	85		those of a regionally accredited institution. 32
81	86		b. The person has the endorsement as to the person's eligibility of three 33
82	87		certified public accountants who currently hold licenses in any state or 34
83	88		territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. 35
84	89		c. The person has one of the following: 36
85	90		1. One year's Only as to those persons applying for a certificate 37
86	91		based on the educational requirements of sub-sub-subdivision 38
87	92		1. of sub-subdivision a. of this subdivision, one year of 39
88	93		experience in the field of accounting under the direct 40
89	94		supervision of a certified public accountant who currently 41
90	95		holds a valid license in any state or territory of the United 42
91	96		States or the District of Columbia. 43
92	97		1a. Only as to those persons applying for a certificate based on the 44
93	98		educational requirements of sub-sub-subdivision 2. of 45
94	99		sub-subdivision a. of this subdivision, two years of experience 46
95	100		in the field of accounting under the direct supervision of a 47
96	101		certified public accountant who currently holds a valid license 48
97	102		in any state or territory of the United States or the District of 49
98	103		Columbia. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	~~Senate Bill 321-First Edition~~ Page 3
	104	+	DRS35125-NN-24 Page 3
100	105		2. Four years of experience teaching accounting in a four-year 1
101	106		college or university accredited by one of the regional 2
102	107		accrediting associations or in a college or university 3
103	108		determined by the Board to have standards substantially 4
104	109		equivalent to a regionally accredited institution. 5
105	110		3. Four years of experience in the field of accounting. 6
106	111		4. Four years of experience teaching college transfer accounting 7
107	112		courses at a community college or technical institute accredited 8
108	113		by one of the regional accrediting associations. 9
109	114		5. Any combination of such experience determined by the Board 10
110	115		to be substantially equivalent to the foregoing. 11
111	116		The Board may permit persons otherwise eligible to take its 12
112	117		examinations and withhold certificates until the person has had the 13
113	118		required experience. 14
114	119		…." 15
115	120		SECTION 1.(b) The State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners may 16
116	121		adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section. 17
117	122		SECTION 2. This act becomes effective January 1, 2026. 18