E "Accountancy Act of 2001"; modifying and recodifying certain provisions regulating the practice of accountancyARTICLE 1 REGULATION OF ACCOUNTANCYProviding a state policy relating to regulation of certified public accountants; defining certain terms; creating a state board of accountancy, specifying membership requirements and conditions, enumerating certain powers, authorizing administration and enforcement rules and requiring establishment of a complaint committee to investigate, mediate or initiate administrative or legal proceedings on behalf of the board; specifying certain qualifications and educational, experience and examination requirements for certification as a CPA; requiring the board in consultation with the university of Minnesota, the Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) and private colleges and career schools to establish criteria to assess equivalent education for certification purposes; providing for the issuance and renewal of certificates and the maintenance of competency, providing for reciprocity, requiring certificate initial issuance or renewal application fees, requiring peer review of certain certificate holders and automatic certificate revocation under certain nonrenewal conditions; requiring and providing for board issuance or renewal of permits to practice as a CPA firm, specifying certain qualification and peer review requirements, providing for issuance of cooperative auditing service licenses to certain cooperative auditing organizations; requiring and providing for the issuance of certificates to licensed public accountants (LPA) and providing for the voluntary registration of accounting practitioners; providing for the appointment of the secretary of state as agent under certain conditions; providing for enforcement, specifying the persons and entities subject to discipline and the basis for conducting investigations, providing for hearings, certain legal and administrative actions, the issuance of cease and desist orders, denial, suspension or revocation of permits, registrations or certificates and authorizing the imposition of a civil penalty and a costs fee; providing for reinstatement of suspended or revoked certificates, registrations or permits; specifying certain unlawful acts; providing for confidential communications between licensees and clients and regulating the treatment of licensee working papers and client records; transitional provision for board members; repealing the existing provisions regulating the practice of accountancy ARTICLE 2 CONFORMING CHANGESMaking conforming amendments to certain statutory provisions relating to agency audits by the legislative auditor, business licensing exceptions, the definition of nonhealth related licensing board, the definition of professional services under the professional firms act, certain violations and penalties, public accountants in towns, statutory cities and counties and certain actions against professionals (ja)