Texas 2023 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3520 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/03/2023

                    88R7862 SCP-F
 By: Button H.B. No. 3520


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the regulation of public accountancy.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 901.252, Occupations Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 901.252.  ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. To be eligible to
 receive a certificate, a person must:
 (1)  satisfy the requirements of Section 901.253;
 (2)  meet the education requirements established under
 Section 901.254 [or 901.255];
 (3)  pass the uniform CPA examination;
 (4)  meet the work experience requirements established
 under Section 901.256; and
 (5)  pass an examination on the rules of professional
 conduct as determined by board rule.
 SECTION 2.  Section 901.256(a), Occupations Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  To be eligible to receive a certificate, a person must
 complete[:
 [(1)  at least two years of work experience under the
 supervision of a certified public accountant; or
 [(2)] at least one year of work experience acceptable to
 the board and under the supervision of a certified public
 accountant, including experience providing a service or advice
 involving accounting, attest services, management or financial
 advisory or consulting services, tax services, or other services
 the board considers appropriate for an accountant[, if the person:
 [(A)  has completed at least 150 semester hours of
 college credits; or
 [(B)  holds a graduate degree].
 SECTION 3.  Section 901.304(a), Occupations Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  For each examination or reexamination, the board by rule
 shall apportion an amount of the total examination fee among the
 parts of the examination that an applicant is eligible to take on a
 particular examination date. For each examination or
 reexamination, the board shall collect from each applicant a fee
 set by board rule not to exceed the cost of administering the parts
 of the examination that the applicant is eligible to take.
 SECTION 4.  The heading to Section 901.310, Occupations
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 901.310.  PASSAGE OF [CONDITIONAL] EXAMINATION
 [CREDIT].
 SECTION 5.  Section 901.310(c), Occupations Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (c)  The board shall consider a person to have passed an
 examination if the person receives credit for each subject within
 the time prescribed by the board [by receiving conditional credit
 after September 1, 1989, and passing the remaining subjects within
 the six consecutive examinations following the examination for
 which the person receives conditional credit].
 SECTION 6.  Section 901.311, Occupations Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 901.311.  RESTRUCTURE OF EXAMINATION. On the
 restructuring of [If] the uniform CPA examination [is
 restructured], the board by rule shall determine the manner in
 which credit for a subject is integrated into the new structure.
 SECTION 7.  Section 901.355(a), Occupations Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  The holder of a certificate, license, or degree
 authorizing the person to practice public accountancy in a foreign
 country who on or before September 1, 2023, registered [may
 register] with the board as the holder of a certificate, license, or
 degree issued by the foreign country may continue to practice in
 this state under that registration for as long as the person stays
 in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and board rules
 applicable to the person[, if the board determines that the
 standards under which the applicant was certified or otherwise
 authorized to practice public accountancy were at least as high as
 the standards of this state at the time that authority was granted].
 SECTION 8.  The following provisions of the Occupations Code
 are repealed:
 (1)  Section 901.255;
 (2)  Sections 901.310(a) and (b); and
 (3)  Sections 901.355(b) and (c).
 SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2023.