1 | 1 | | By: Williams S.B. No. 228 |
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2 | 2 | | (Otto) |
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3 | 3 | | |
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4 | 4 | | |
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5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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7 | 7 | | relating to the regulation of the practice of public accountancy. |
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8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 901.153, Occupations Code, is amended by |
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10 | 10 | | adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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11 | 11 | | (f) An enforcement committee may hold a closed meeting as |
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12 | 12 | | provided by Section 551.090, Government Code, to investigate and |
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13 | 13 | | deliberate a disciplinary action under Subchapter K relating to the |
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14 | 14 | | enforcement of this chapter or board rules. |
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15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 901.457, Occupations |
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16 | 16 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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17 | 17 | | (b) This section does not prohibit a license holder from |
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18 | 18 | | disclosing information that is required to be disclosed: |
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19 | 19 | | (1) by the professional standards for reporting on the |
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20 | 20 | | examination of a financial statement; |
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21 | 21 | | (2) under a summons or subpoena under the provisions |
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22 | 22 | | of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and its subsequent amendments, |
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23 | 23 | | the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. Section 77a et seq.) and its |
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24 | 24 | | subsequent amendments, [or] the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 |
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25 | 25 | | U.S.C. Section 78a et seq.) and its subsequent amendments, or The |
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26 | 26 | | Securities Act (Article 581-1 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil |
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27 | 27 | | Statutes); |
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28 | 28 | | (3) [or] under a court order signed by a judge if the |
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29 | 29 | | [summons or] order: |
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30 | 30 | | (A) is addressed to the license holder; |
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31 | 31 | | (B) mentions the client by name; and |
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32 | 32 | | (C) requests specific information concerning the |
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33 | 33 | | client; |
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34 | 34 | | (4) [(3)] in an investigation or proceeding conducted |
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35 | 35 | | by the board; |
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36 | 36 | | (5) [(4)] in an ethical investigation conducted by a |
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37 | 37 | | professional organization of certified public accountants; [or] |
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38 | 38 | | (6) [(5)] in the course of a peer review under Section |
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39 | 39 | | 901.159 or in accordance with the requirements of the Public |
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40 | 40 | | Company Accounting Oversight Board or its successor; or |
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41 | 41 | | (7) in the course of a practice review by another |
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42 | 42 | | certified public accountant or certified public accountancy firm |
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43 | 43 | | for a potential acquisition or merger of one firm with another, if |
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44 | 44 | | both firms enter into a nondisclosure agreement with regard to all |
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45 | 45 | | client information shared between the firms. |
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46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 551, Government Code, is |
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47 | 47 | | amended by adding Section 551.090 to read as follows: |
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48 | 48 | | Sec. 551.090. ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY TEXAS |
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49 | 49 | | STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY. This chapter does not require an |
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50 | 50 | | enforcement committee appointed by the Texas State Board of Public |
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51 | 51 | | Accountancy to conduct an open meeting to investigate and |
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52 | 52 | | deliberate a disciplinary action under Subchapter K, Chapter 901, |
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53 | 53 | | Occupations Code, relating to the enforcement of Chapter 901 or the |
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54 | 54 | | rules of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. |
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55 | 55 | | SECTION 4. The following sections of the Occupations Code |
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56 | 56 | | are repealed: |
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57 | 57 | | (1) Subsection (c), Section 901.154; and |
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58 | 58 | | (2) Subsection (d) and (e), Section 901.308. |
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59 | 59 | | SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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60 | 60 | | 901.308, Occupations Code, apply only to an examination |
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61 | 61 | | administered on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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62 | 62 | | examination administered before that date is governed by the law in |
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63 | 63 | | effect at the time the examination was administered, and the former |
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64 | 64 | | law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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65 | 65 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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