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SB 321

Relating to the licensure of substitute teachers; declaring an emergency.

2025 Regular Session

NC's Accounting Workforce Development Act creates multiple CPA licensure paths, linking a 150-hour degree to only 1 year of supervised experience, while preserving other routes.

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · SB 321

SB 321 — Accounting Workforce Development Act (North Carolina)

Status: Enacted (Session Law 2025‑35). Ratified June 25, 2025; Signed by Governor July 1, 2025. Effective date: January 1, 2026.

Main purpose

To revise the educational and supervised‑experience prerequisites for obtaining a North Carolina Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate, and to authorize the State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners to implement the changes by rule. The Act is titled the "Accounting Workforce Development Act."

Key provisions

  • Eligibility to sit for the CPA exam

    • Requires evidence of a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited (or Board‑equivalent) institution, with course work that includes an accounting concentration (or Board‑determined equivalent).

  • Eligibility to receive a CPA certificate (paths established)

    • Educational options (applicants must meet one):
    • Completion of 150 semester hours and receipt of a bachelor’s or higher degree with an accounting concentration (150‑hour pathway).
    • Receipt of a bachelor’s degree with an accounting concentration plus any additional courses the Board may require (traditional bachelor’s pathway).
    • Experience options (applicants must have one of the following):
    • For applicants qualifying via the 150‑hour pathway: one year of accounting experience under the direct supervision of a licensed CPA.
    • For applicants qualifying via the bachelor’s pathway (non‑150 hour): two years of accounting experience under direct supervision of a licensed CPA.
    • Four years of college/university teaching experience in accounting (at a four‑year accredited institution).
    • Four years of experience in the field of accounting (practical/business experience).
    • Four years teaching college transfer accounting courses at an accredited community college or technical institute.
    • Any combination of the above that the Board determines is substantially equivalent.
    • Applicants must provide endorsements as to eligibility from three currently‑licensed CPAs (in any U.S. state, territory, or D.C.).

  • Other provisions

    • The Board may withhold issuance of a certificate until required experience is completed.
    • The Board retains discretion to waive educational requirements for candidates who pass a Board‑administered special written examination demonstrating equivalent qualifications.
    • The State Board of Accountancy name referenced in statute is the State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners (existing statutory name change is preserved).
    • The Board may adopt rules to implement the Act.

Who is affected

  • Prospective CPAs (students, recent graduates) — clarifies multiple pathways to licensure and ties specific supervised‑experience durations to educational paths (150‑hour vs. bachelor’s).
  • Colleges and universities — course content and 150‑hour program structures may be used differently by candidates seeking the shorter supervised‑experience route.
  • Employers and licensed CPAs — responsibilities for supervising and endorsing candidate experience.
  • State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners — must implement rulemaking and may adjust processes for credentialing and exemptions.

Procedural / timeline aspects

  • Effective January 1, 2026 (allows time for Board rulemaking and administrative implementation).
  • The Board may promulgate rules to carry out the law and may administer special examinations to waive education requirements in limited cases.

Potential impacts (practical effect)

  • Creates clearer, multiple pathways to CPA licensure — notably tying a 150‑semester‑hour education credential to a shorter (one‑year) supervised‑experience requirement, while retaining other routes (teaching, four years’ practice).
  • Likely to influence accounting education choices (some candidates may pursue the 150‑hour path to shorten supervised experience) and employer hiring/supervision practices.
  • Increases the Board’s regulatory workload for rulemaking and administering any special written examinations or endorsement verifications.

For exact statutory language, implementation details, and Board rule notices, consult Session Law 2025‑35 and subsequent rulemaking published by the State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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