When a Florida bill to dismantle its professional licensing boards was narrowly defeated, the CPA profession faced immediate political fallout — and Florida isn’t the only state considering deregulation. James Cox, vice president of state advocacy at the AICPA, breaks down the growing national push toward occupational licensing reform. He explores what happened in Florida, how deregulation threatens state boards of accountancy, the potential risks to public protection and business stability, and why New Jersey CPAs should care about what’s unfolding across the country.
Topics discussed:
- What “occupational licensing reform” and “deregulation” mean
- Deregulation proposals across the country
- What happened in Florida
- Distinguishing between reasonable efforts to modernize CPA licensure and those that could weaken standards
- The role that state boards of accountancy play
- Risks to businesses, government entities and individual consumers
- Why New Jersey CPAs should be concerned
- Other big issues impacting CPAs: CPA licensure pathway, tax on professional services, AI regulation
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