The Board proposes a rule amendment to update and clarify the courses based in USA accounting and business law.

 

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION

Board of Accountancy

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

61H1-27.002Concentrations in Accounting and Business

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The Board proposes a rule amendment to update and clarify the courses based in USA accounting and business law.

SUMMARY: The rule amendment updates and clarifies the courses based in USA accounting and business law standards to comply with statutory requirements.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: During discussion of the economic impact of this rule at its Board meeting, the Board concluded that this rule change will not have any impact on licensees and their businesses or the businesses that employ them. The rule will not increase any fees, business costs, personnel costs, will not decrease profit opportunities, and will not require any specialized knowledge to comply. This change will not increase any direct or indirect regulatory costs. Hence, the Board determined that a Statement of Estimated Regulatory Costs (SERC) was not necessary and that the rule will not require ratification by the Legislature. No person or interested party submitted additional information regarding the economic impact at that time.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 473.304, 473.306(3), 473.308(3) FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 473.306(2), (3), 473.308(3), (8) FS.

IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN THE FAR.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Roger Scarborough, Division Director, Board of Accountancy, 240 NW 76th Dr., Suite A, Gainesville, Florida 32607, [e-mail].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

61H1-27.002 Concentrations in Accounting and Business.

(1) No change.

(2) For purposes of section 473.308, F.S., if application for licensure is made after August 1, 1983, an applicant must have at least 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours of college education, including a baccalaureate degree or higher conferred by an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, or its equivalent. The applicant’s total education program shall include a concentration in accounting and business as follows:

(a) 30 semester or 45 quarter hours in accounting education at the upper division level which shall include coverage of auditing, cost and managerial accounting, financial accounting, and taxation. Of these courses, the applicant must complete 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of financial accounting and 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of taxation based upon USA accounting standards. Not more than 3 semester or 4 quarter hours may be internship programs which may be applied to the 30 semester or 45 quarter hours in accounting (internship courses must be taken in conjunction with other traditional coursework at an institution and must appear on the transcript). Further, any remaining internship credit if otherwise acceptable would be applied to the general business requirement;

(b) 36 semester or 54 quarter hours in general business education which shall include not less than the equivalent of 3 semester or 4 quarter hours in business law courses based upon USA laws. Vocational and clerical type courses will not count either toward the accounting requirement set forth in subsection 61H1-27.002(2), F.A.C., or this general business education requirement. Specialized industry courses will be acceptable as general business courses but not as accounting courses unless as defined in subsection 61H1-27.002(2), F.A.C., and they have an accounting prefix, further such courses in order to qualify must be certified by the chairman of the school or college’s accounting department as qualifying for general business credit. Written or oral communication courses will qualify for the general business requirement if they have a business or accounting prefix or if they are reflected in the catalog in the school or college as relating directly to the school or college’s business or accounting requirements. A maximum of 9 semester hours (13 quarter hours) of computer courses and 6 upper division semester hours (8 quarter hours) of statistics courses will be accepted for purposes of meeting the general business requirement; and

(c) At least 3 of the required hours in each of the areas of business law, taxation, and financial accounting are to have been based upon United States of America law or accounting standards.

(3) To be eligible to take the licensure examination, an applicant shall have completed 120 semester or 180 quarter hours as follows:

(a) 24 semester or 36 quarter hours in accounting education at the upper division level which shall include coverage of auditing, cost and managerial accounting, financial accounting, and taxation. Of these courses, the applicant must complete 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of financial accounting and 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of taxation based upon USA accounting standards. Not more than 3 semester or 4 quarter hours may be internship programs which may be applied to the 24 semester or 36 quarter hours in accounting (internship courses must be taken in conjunction with other traditional coursework at an institution and must appear on the transcript). Further, any remaining internship credit if otherwise acceptable would be applied to the general business requirement;

(b) 24 semester or 36 quarter hours in general business education which shall include not less than the equivalent of 3 semester or 4 quarter hours in business law courses based upon USA laws. Vocational and clerical type courses will not count either toward the accounting requirement set forth in subsection 61H1-27.002(2), F.A.C., or this general business education requirement. Specialized industry courses will be acceptable as general business courses but not as accounting courses unless as defined in subsection 61H1-27.002(2), F.A.C., and they have an accounting prefix; further such courses in order to qualify must be certified by the chairman of the school or college’s accounting department as qualifying for general business credit. Written or oral communication courses will qualify for the general business requirement if they have a business or accounting prefix or if they are reflected in the catalog in the school or college as relating directly to the school or college’s business or accounting requirements. A maximum of 9 semester hours (13 quarter hours) of computer courses and 6 upper division semester hours (8 quarter hours) of statistics courses will be accepted for purposes of meeting the general business requirement; and

(c) At least 3 of the required hours in each of the areas of business law, taxation, and financial accounting are to have been based upon United States of America law or accounting standards.

(4) through (8) No change.

Rulemaking Authority 473.304, 473.306(3), 473.308(3) FS. Law Implemented 473.306(2), (3), 473.308(3), (8) FS. History–New 12-4-79, Amended 2-3-81, 8-1-83, 3-21-84, 6-10-84, 6-5-85, 10-28-85, Formerly 21A-27.02, Amended 5-22-88, 3-21-89, 5-20-91, 12-2-92, Formerly 21A-27.002, Amended 11-2-95, 11-3-97, 1-31-05, 5-24-07, 11-30-08, 12-21-09, 12-2-14, 7-11-16, 2-13-18, 7-29-18,_____________.

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Board of Accountancy

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Board of Accountancy

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: December 13, 2019

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: February 18, 2020