On June 15, 2026, the New Jersey Assembly Education Committee unanimously passed A4236, popularly known as the Accounting is STEM bill. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, would recognize the new reality that accounting is heavily involved in technology and designate it as a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subject for purposes of state aid.
New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJCPA) Vice President of Government Relations Jeff Kaszerman and NJCPA member Melissa Dardani, CPA, testified in support of the bill. Other groups that supported the bill included the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ), American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), New Jersey Association of School Administrators and the Garden State Coalition of Schools.
“For at least two decades, the accounting field has been a STEM profession, though not often recognized by the public as such,” Kaszerman stated during his testimony before the committee. “Although there is some recognition that accounting involves math, what is almost always overlooked is the field’s heavy reliance on technology and its proper designation as part of the technology leg of STEM.”
“The common perception that accounting is a numerical-based profession of financial recording and analysis is woefully outdated,” he continued. “Not only are CPAs utilizing some of the most sophisticated technologies, but they are also creating them as well.”
Kaszerman noted that CPAs are now routinely:
- Creating and implementing information technology systems
- Setting up cybersecurity systems
- Integrating AI for their clients and their own firms
- Utilizing big data for data analytics
He also cited that:
- The CPA Exam includes an Information Systems and Controls section.
- An increasing number of universities are designating their accounting programs as STEM.
- In Congress, there is bipartisan legislation that would recognize accounting as STEM for purposes of K-12 STEM funding.
New Jersey has many programs that recognize the importance of STEM by providing increased financial funding and assistance. For example, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority’s (HESAA) STEM loan redemption program and workforce development programs that provide STEM grants for employers. However, accounting does not appear as a qualifying STEM subject. This bill would correct that and help to attract more students to the profession and make it clear that accounting is on the cutting edge of technology.
Updates will be provided here as the bill works its way through the legislative process. The next step (date TBD) will be a vote by the full Assembly.