House Bill 1137

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 73-33-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE CERTAIN EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PERSON SEEKING LICENSURE AS A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT; TO REQUIRE A CANDIDATE FOR LICENSURE TO PASS ALL SECTIONS OF THE UNIFORM CPA EXAMINATION FOR THE INITIAL ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE; TO AMEND SECTION 73-33-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE SAME EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE FOR A PERSON LICENSED AS A CPA IN ANOTHER STATE WHO IS SEEKING PRACTICE PRIVILEGES IN THIS STATE; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 73-33-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 73-33-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

73-33-5. (1) The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy is * * *~~hereby~~ authorized with the following powers and duties:

(a) To adopt a seal;

(b) To govern its proceedings;

(c) To set the fees and to regulate the time, manner and place of conducting examinations to be held under this chapter. * * *To be admitted to the examination, a candidate must have completed a baccalaureate degree of at least one hundred twenty (120) collegiate‑level semester hours of education or its equivalent at a college or university acceptable to the board. The education program shall include an accounting concentration or the equivalent as determined by the board to be appropriate in its rules and regulations. The examination shall cover branches of knowledge pertaining to accountancy as the board may deem proper. A total of one hundred fifty (150) collegiate‑level semester hours of education shall be required before the board shall accept an application for a certified public accountant license under this chapter A candidate for licensure must pass all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination for the initial issuance of a license under this chapter;

(d) To initiate investigations of certified public accountant and certified public accountant firm practices;

(e) To notify applicants who have failed an examination of such failure and in what branch or branches deficiency was found;

(f) To adopt and enforce such rules and regulations concerning certified public accountant examinee and licensee qualifications and practices and certified public accountant firm permits and practices as provided in this chapter and as the board considers necessary to maintain the highest standard of proficiency in the profession of certified public accounting and for the protection of the public interest. The standards of practice by certified public accountants and certified public accountant firms shall include generally accepted auditing and accounting standards as recognized by the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy;

(g) To issue certified public accountant licenses under the signature and the official seal of the board as provided in this chapter; and to issue permits to practice public accounting to certified public accountant firms pursuant to such rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the board;

(h) To employ personnel;

(i) To contract for services and rent; and

(j) To adopt and enforce all such rules and regulations as shall be necessary for the administration of this chapter; * * *~~provided,~~ however, no adoption or modification of any rules or regulations of the board shall become effective unless any final action of the board approving such adoption or modification shall occur at a time and place which is open to the public and for which notice by mail or electronic mail of such time and place and the rules and regulations proposed to be adopted or modified has been given at least thirty (30) days prior thereto to every person who is licensed and registered with the board.

(2) To be admitted to the examination provided under subsection (1)(c) of this section, a candidate for licensure must have completed:

(a) A postgraduate degree acceptable to the board, including an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule, at a college or university;

(b) A baccalaureate degree with additional semester credit hours for a total of one hundred fifty (150) or more semester hours, all acceptable to the board and including an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule, at a college or university; or

(c) A baccalaureate degree acceptable to the board, including an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule, at a college or university.

(3) In addition to the education requirements provided in subsection (2) of this section, a candidate for licensure must have:

(a) For candidates who meet the education requirements provided in subsection (2)(a) or (b) of this section, one (1) year of experience as defined by board rule; or

(b) For candidates who meet the education requirements provided in subsection (2)(c) of this section, two (2) years of experience as defined by board rule.

The experience required under this subsection (3) shall include providing any type of service or advice representing the skills needed at the time of initial licensure to serve the public, including accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax or consulting skills, verified by a licensee and meeting the requirements defined by board rule. This experience may be obtained through employment in government, industry, academia or public practice.

(4) Any licensee who has passed all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination and holds a valid license that was issued by the board prior to January 1, 2012, is exempt from the education and experience requirements set forth in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.

(5) Each application or filing made under this section shall include the social security number(s) of the applicant in accordance with Section 93-11-64, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 2. Section 73-33-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

73-33-17. (1) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state * * * ~~and~~; who holds a valid license as a certified public accountant from any state * * * ~~that~~

~~(b) Achieves a passing grade on~~; who has passed all sections of the Uniform * * *~~Certified Public Accountant~~ CPA Examination; and * * *

~~verified by a licensee, including~~ ~~providing any type of service or~~ ~~tax~~ ~~or consulting skills,~~ who has completed the education and experience requirements in Section 73-33-5(2) and (3), shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license from the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who offers or renders professional services, whether in person, or by mail, telephone or electronic means, under this section shall be granted practice privileges in this state, and may use the title "CPA" or "Certified Public Accountant," and no notice, fee or other submission shall be provided by any such individual. Such an individual shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (3) of this section. * * *

(2) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state * * * ~~and~~; who * * *~~holds~~ on or before December 31, 2025, held a valid license as a certified public accountant from any state * * *; who has passed all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination; and who on or before December 31, 2025, had practice privileges in this state under this section, shall continue to have practice privileges in this state and shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license from the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. * * * Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who offers or renders professional services, whether in person, or by mail, telephone or electronic means, under this section shall be granted practice privileges in this state, and may use the title "CPA" or "Certified Public Accountant," and no notice, fee or other submission shall be provided by any such individual. Such an individual shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (3) of this section.

(3) Any individual licensee of another state exercising the privilege afforded under this section and the firm which employs that licensee hereby simultaneously consent, as a condition of the grant of the privilege:

(a) To the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board;

(b) To comply with this chapter and the board's rules;

(c) That in the event the license from the state of the individual's principal place of business is no longer valid, the individual will cease offering or rendering professional services in this state individually and on behalf of a firm; and

(d) To the appointment of the state board which issued their license as their agent upon whom process may be served in any action or proceeding by this board against the licensee.

(4) An individual who has been granted practice privileges under this section who, for any entity with its home office in this state, performs any of the following services:

(a) Any financial statement audit or other engagement to be performed in accordance with Statements on Auditing Standards;

(b) Any examination of prospective financial information to be performed in accordance with Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements; or

may only do so through a firm which has obtained a permit issued under Section 73-33-1(3).

(5) A licensee of this state offering or rendering services or using their CPA title in another state shall be subject to disciplinary action in this state for an act committed in another state for which the licensee would be subject to discipline for an act committed in the other state. The board shall be required to investigate any complaint made by the State Board of Public Accountancy of another state.

SECTION 3. Section 73-33-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

73-33-9. The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy may, in its discretion, issue a reciprocal certified public accountant license to practice to any holder of any certified public accountant's certificate or license issued under the law of another state, which shall entitle the holder to use the abbreviation, "CPA," in this state provided that the state issuing the original certificate or license grants similar privileges to the certified public accountants of this state. The fee for a license shall be in such reasonable amount as determined by the board. Such license shall not allow the holder thereof to engage in the practice of public accounting as a certified public accountant unless the holder meets the requirements of the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy. This section shall apply only to a person who wishes to obtain a license issued by the State of Mississippi and shall not apply to those persons practicing in this state under Section 73-33-17. The issuance of a license by reciprocity to a military-trained applicant, military spouse or person who establishes residence in this state shall be subject to the provisions of Section 73-50-1 or 73-50-2, as applicable.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.