UAA THE FOCUS AS CRA SUNSET BEGINS.

• Position: Licensing standards for California's chartered accountants - Brief Article

At the Legislature's Dec. 5 CBA sunset hearing, attention quickly focused not on whether the CBA should continue, but whether it should be composed of a majority of public members rather than CPAs. Also discussed was whether or not the governor should be mandated to appoint at least one member from a small firm (fewer than four CPAs) and one sole practitioner.

A lively debate centered around the CBA proposal to conform California's CPA licensing standards to the existing licensing requirements in 45 other states. Opposition to increasing California's educational requirement to 150 hours was presented by representatives of the California Coalition for Affordable Accounting (membership unknown); California Society of Taxation and Accounting Professionals (300 members, mostly unlicensed accountants); the Society of California Accountants (700--800 CPA members); and the Center for Public Interest Law (a private entity affiliated with the University of San Diego Law...