Bills & CBA officers: second half of the legislative session is underway.

• Author: Fox, Jason
• Position: Capitol Beat - Certified public accountants

The Legislature will reconvene Jan. 4 for the second half of the 2015-16 session. Last year, the Legislature introduced more than 2,000 bills, and this year looks to see almost 3,000 more, which will start being introduced when members return in January until the Feb.

19 deadline to introduce new legislation. January and February wall be busy months in Sacramento, as the government relations team monitors every new bill introduced for potential impacts on the CPA profession and their clients.

New bills this year are not the only legislation CalCPA has to monitor. Several bills that did not pass last year are still able to be amended and move through the legislative process. One of the looming concerns that stalled last year that is poised to come back is SB 8 (Hertzberg), legislation that would impose a sales tax on services.

Sen. Hertzberg plans to continue the conversation this year and attempt to move the bill forward. CalCPA will continue to monitor SB 8 and share concerns about tax on services with members of the Legislature, including making this issue a main talking point for CPA Day.

CPA Day--Registration Deadline Looming

CPA Day is fast approaching, with Jan. 19 marking one of CalCPA's largest member participation in government relations of the year. Hundreds of CPAs from all over California will flood the hallways at the state Capitol to meet with their elected officials and be a direct liaison between the profession and the legislature.

Each session, California's policymakers introduce more than 5,000 bills that move through the legislative process--any one of which can impact the CPA profession. Please register for CPA Day at www.calcpa.org/CPADay.

Now is the time to sign up and make arrangements so you can represent yourself, your clients and the profession to California's top leaders. It's imperative that CalCPA. members come provide their valuable insight, and discuss some of the significant issues that will face the CPA profession this year.

CalCPA Supports Proposed Disaster Relief Legislation

CalCPA has joined the AICPA and other state CPA societies to support legislation introduced in December that would grant persons affected by national disaster leniency when filing certain taxes to the IRS.

Congressman Steve Palazzo, a CPA from Mississippi, introduced the legislation in December, which -if passed--will automatically grant a 90-day extension...