AB 20

Under current law, a person may not take the examination required to become

a certified public accountant in this state unless the person has received a bachelor's

or higher degree with an accounting concentration or with experience reasonably

equivalent to an accounting concentration from an institution of higher education

accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (now known as

the Higher Learning Commission) of the North Central Association of Colleges and

Schools or its regional equivalent.

This bill broadens the qualifying institutions to include any institution of

higher education that is accredited by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the

secretary of the federal Department of Education.

Also under current law, the Accounting Examining Board (board) is required

to publish two notices of an examination to become a certified public accountant in

each of at least two daily newspapers, one in the city of Milwaukee and one in the city

of Madison. The board must publish the second notice in each of those newspapers

at least 30 days before the date of an examination, and the board must give written

notice of the time and place of an examination to any person who applies to the board

to take the examination before the board has published a notice of that examination.

The bill replaces those notice requirements with the requirement that the

board give public notice of an examination to become a certified public accountant

at least 30 days before the date of the examination. The bill does not specify the

manner of that public notice.