One month ago, we celebrated the signing of Senate Bill 812 into law. The CPA Practice Act resulted from hours of conversations around conference tables and discussions with legislators, reams of paper with draft language, and countless emails and text messages. We celebrated this incredible win for the CPA profession as a community in Spartanburg during Spring Splash.  

But, the work continues.  

After handshakes and photo ops, the “behind the scenes” work begins. Just this week, the Board of Accountancy Website Committee met to address how to carry out the changes prescribed in the law. SCACPA CEO Chris Jenkins attended the meeting to offer support. We appreciate this collaborative effort with the Board of Accountancy in ensuring aspects of the law are executed as intended.  

Some of the changes that require operational updating include: 

  • Applications for reciprocity and mobility: The law specifies the conditions under which the Board shall issue a CPA license for applicants holding CPA licenses in other states. These conditions are different than the previous version of the Practice Act, and therefore changes to the online forms must be updated.  
  • Experience verification: The law revised the experience verification requirement in that a CPA may verify a candidate’s experience even if that CPA did not directly supervise the candidate.  

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Accountancy will review red-lined version of the forms. This process is one of many steps on the path to operationally implementing the more than 40 revisions to the CPA Practice Act addressed in S.812.  

SCACPA will keep you apprised of developments as this process moves forward. It’s important to understand that the bill has been signed into law and is therefore effective, though time and effort are required to make the appropriate systematic updates.  

Of course, should you have questions, please reach out to us, and we will point you in the right direction. We again express our gratitude for our relationship with the Board of Accountancy in that we recognize the benefits of each other’s roles within the profession and continue to work cooperatively.