Virginia SB 605: Accountancy, Board of; licensing requirements, inactive and emeritus status.

Bill Text

2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26100779D

SENATE BILL NO. 605

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 14, 2026

A BILL to amend and reenact § 54.1-4400 of the Code of Virginia, relating to professions and occupations; public accountants; definition.

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Patrons—Obenshain and VanValkenburg

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Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 54.1-4400 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 54.1-4400. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Accredited institution" means a degree-granting institution of higher education accredited either by (i) one of the regional accrediting organizations, including the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Commission of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and WASC Senior College and University Commission, or their successors or (ii) an accrediting organization demonstrating to the Board periodically, as prescribed by the Board, that its accreditation process and standards are substantially equivalent to the accreditation process and standards of the regional accrediting organizations.

"Assurance" means any form of expressed or implied opinion or conclusion about the conformity of a financial statement with any recognition, measurement, presentation, or disclosure principles for financial statements.

"Attest services" means audit, review, or other engagements performed in accordance with the standards that have been established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, by the Auditing Standards Board or the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or by any successor standard-setting authorities.

"Board" means the Virginia Board of Accountancy.

"Compilation services" means compiling financial statements in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.

"Continuing professional education" means the education that a person obtains after passing the CPA examination and that relates to services provided to or on behalf of an employer in academia, government, or industry or to services provided to the public.

"CPA" means certified public accountant.

"CPA examination" means the national uniform CPA examination approved and administered by the board of accountancy of a state or by the board's designee.

"CPA wall certificate" means the symbolic document suitable for wall display that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state to a person meeting the requirements to use the CPA title in that state.

"Executive Director" means the Executive Director of the Board.

"Experience" means employment in academia, a firm, government, or an industry in any capacity involving the substantial use of accounting, financial, tax, or other skills that are relevant, as determined by the Board, to provide services to or on behalf of an employer or to the public. Such experience must be verified by an active, licensed CPA.

"Facilitated State Board Access" or "FSBA" means the sponsoring organization's process whereby it provides the Board access to peer review results via a secure website.

"Financial statement" means a presentation of historical or prospective financial information about one or more persons or entities.

"Financial statement preparation services" means engaging a licensee in public practice for financial statement preparation services executed in accordance with the standards established by the Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or by any successor standard-setting authorities.

"Firm" means an entity formed by one or more licensees as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, or any other type of entity permitted by law with the purpose of providing professional services to the public.

"License of another state" means the license that is issued by the board of accountancy of a state other than Virginia that gives a person the privilege of using the CPA title in that state or that gives a firm the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, and financial statement preparation services to persons and entities located in that state.

"Licensed" means holding a Virginia license or the license of another state.

"Licensee" means a person or firm holding a Virginia license or the license of another state.

"Peer review" means a review of a firm's attest services, compilation services, and financial statements preparation services that is conducted in accordance with the applicable monitoring program of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or its success