Bill Text: MS SB2830 | 2026 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Public accountancy; revise certain laws regulating the practice of.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Failed) 2026-03-03 - Died In Committee [SB2830 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-SB2830-Engrossed.html
2026 Regular Session
To: Business and Financial Institutions
By: Senator(s) Harkins
Senate Bill 2830
(As Passed the Senate)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 73-33-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS TO BE ADMITTED TO THE CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (CPA) EXAMINATION; TO REQUIRE PASSAGE OF ALL SECTIONS OF THE UNIFORM CPA EXAMINATION AND CERTAIN EXPERIENCE TO APPLY FOR INITIAL ISSUANCE OF A CPA LICENSE; TO AMEND SECTION 73-33-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM THE REVISED EDUCATION, EXAMINATION PASSAGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR PRACTICE PRIVILEGES FOR CERTAIN OUT-OF-STATE INDIVIDUALS HOLDING CPA LICENSES; 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. 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 or higher degree * * * acceptable to the
board, conferred by a college or university * * *. 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. * * * The examination and experience requirements under
subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (c) shall be required before
the board shall accept an application for a certified public accountant license
under this chapter;
(i) The education requirement to be admitted to the examination may be met through any of the following pathways:
1. A postgraduate degree acceptable to the board, conferred by a college or university, for which the total educational program includes an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule;
2. A baccalaureate degree plus additional semester credit hours, for a total of one hundred fifty (150) or more semester hours all acceptable to the board, conferred by a college or university, for which the total educational program includes an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule; or
3. A baccalaureate degree acceptable to the board, conferred by a college or university, for which the total educational program includes an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule;
(ii) The examination requirement to apply for initial issuance of a license shall be passage of all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination;
(iii) The experience requirement to apply for initial issuance of a license shall be as follows:
1. An applicant under paragraph (c)(i)1 or (c)(i)2 shall show that he or she has at least one (1) year of experience as defined by board rule; or
2. An applicant under paragraph (c)(i)3 shall show that he or she has at least two (2) years of experience as defined by board rule;
Experience shall include the provision of any type of service or advice representing the skills needed at the time of initial licensure to serve the public and involves the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax or consulting skills, for which the service or advice was verified by a licensee, meeting requirements defined by board rule. Experience shall be acceptable if it was gained through employment in government, industry, academia or public practice;
(iv) 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 paragraph (c)(i) and (c)(iii);
(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 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.
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 * * *.
SECTION 2. Section 73-33-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
73-33-17. (1) (a)
An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state * * *, who holds a valid license as a
certified public accountant from any state * * *, who has passed
all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, and who has completed one (1) of
the following requirements under subparagraphs (i) through (iii) of this
subsection (1)(a), 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:
( * * *i) * * * A postgraduate degree acceptable to the
board with a concentration in accounting or an equivalent and not less than one
(1) year of work experience both as defined in board rule;
( * * *ii) * * * A baccalaureate degree plus additional
semester credit hours for a total of one hundred fifty (150) or
more semester hours all acceptable to the board with a concentration in
accounting or an equivalent and not less than one (1) year of work experience
both as defined in board rule; * * * or
( * * *iii) * * * A baccalaureate degree acceptable to the board
including an accounting concentration or an equivalent and not less than two
(2) years of work experience both as defined in board rule.
(b)
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) (a) An
individual whose principal place of business is not in this state * * *, who holds, and as of 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, as of December 31, 2025,
had practice privileges in this state under this section, shall * * * continue to be granted 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. * * *
(b) 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
(c) Any engagement to be performed in accordance with PCAOB Auditing Standards;
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. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
