THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	215
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the board of public accountancy to convene a discussion forum focusing on the issues facing the accounting profession.

     WHEREAS, to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), an applicant must meet a variety of requirements, including successfully passing a national uniform CPA examination and satisfying the education and experience requirements; and

     WHEREAS, the accounting profession in Hawaii is comprised of over 2,500 licensed CPAs within the government, business, and academic sectors as well as those actively engaged in public practice; and

     WHEREAS, CPAs are regulated under chapter 466, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and title 16, chapter 71, Hawaii Administrative Rules, which further define the requirements to obtain, maintain, and renew a permit to practice; and

     WHEREAS, it is important to assure the competence of licensed CPAs in order to protect consumers who employ and rely on CPAs to take care of financial and accounting matters, including personal financial matters; and

     WHEREAS, the applicable rules are administered by the Board of Public Accountancy under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; and

     WHEREAS, many states have considered or enacted enhancements to the regulation of CPAs, including but not limited to peer review requirements and rules regarding interstate practice; and

     WHEREAS, national models for legislation and rules have been jointly proposed by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); and

     WHEREAS, various individuals and representatives of the accountancy profession have previously come before the Legislature to request that amendments to the laws and rules be made, often times with dissimilar views and contrary positions, which lead to a conclusion that further discussion is necessary to achieve a common consensus before amendments to the laws and rules can be enacted and implemented; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Board of Public Accountancy is requested to convene a series of discussion forums consisting of stakeholders in the accounting profession for the purpose of discussing the issues facing the accounting profession in Hawaii; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Public Accountancy summarize the results of these discussions, and submit a written report to the Legislature, including the discussion summaries, recommendations, and any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the 2009 Regular Session; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; the Director of Taxation; the Director of Finance; the Auditor; the Chairperson of the Board of Public Accountancy; the President of the Hawaii Association of Public Accountants; the President of the Accountants Coalition; the President of the Hawaii Society of Certified Public Accountants; the President of the American Society of Women Accountants; the President of the Association of Government Accountants; the Chairperson of the Institute of Management Accountants; the President of the Institute of Internal Auditors; the Chairperson of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; and the Chairperson of the National Association of the State Board of Accountancy.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Public Accountancy; Discussion Forum