1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; modifying standards for required education and 
1.3 	experience for certified public accountants; establishing mobility for licensed 
1.4 	public accountants;amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 326A.03, 
1.5 	subdivision 6, by adding subdivisions; 326A.14; repealing Minnesota Rules, part 
1.6 	1105.7900, item D.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 326A.03, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
1.9 		Subd. 6.Certificate; required education and experience until July 1, 2030. (a) On 
1.10 	or after July 1, 2006, and before July 1, 2030, a person who has passed the examination 
1.11 	required in this section must be granted a certificate as a certified public accountant provided: 
1.12 	(1) the person certifies to the board that the person has completed at least 150 semester or 
1.13 	225 quarter hours at a college or university that is fully accredited by a recognized accrediting 
1.14 	agency listed with the United States Department of Education, or an equivalent accrediting 
1.15 	association, and has completed at least one year of experience of the type specified in 
1.16 	paragraph (b); (2) the board verifies the certifications; and (3) the person complies with 
1.17 	requirements for initial issuance of the certificate as a certified public accountant as 
1.18 	prescribed by the board by rule.
1.19 	(b) An applicant for initial issuance of a certificate under this subdivision shall show 
1.20 	that the applicant has had one year of experience. Acceptable experience includes providing 
1.21 	any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, 
1.22 	management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills, as verified by a licensee 
1.23 	and meeting requirements prescribed by the board by rule. Acceptable experience may be 
1.24 	gained through employment in government, industry, academia, or public practice. 
2.1 	Experience as an auditor in the Office of the Legislative Auditor or State Auditor, as verified 
2.2 	by a licensee, shall be acceptable experience.
2.3 	(c) This section expires July 1, 2030.

2.4 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 326A.03, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
2.5 	read:
2.6 		Subd. 6a.Certificate; required education and experience after June 30, 2030. (a) 
2.7 	On and after July 1, 2030, or during the transitional period as provided in subdivision 6b, 
2.8 	the board must grant a certificate as a certified public accountant to a person who has not 
2.9 	previously been certified and who has passed the examination required in this section if:
2.10 	(1) the person certifies to the board that the person has:
2.11 	(i) completed a master's degree at a college or university that is fully accredited by a 
2.12 	recognized accrediting agency listed with the United States Department of Education and 
2.13 	has completed at least one year of acceptable experience described in paragraph (b); or
2.14 	(ii) earned a bachelor's or graduate degree from a college or university that is fully 
2.15 	accredited by a recognized accrediting agency listed with the United States Department of 
2.16 	Education and has completed at least two years of acceptable experience described in 
2.17 	paragraph (b);
2.18 	(2) the board verifies the certification under clause (1); and
2.19 	(3) the person complies with requirements as prescribed by the board for an initial 
2.20 	certificate.
2.21 	(b) Acceptable experience includes providing any type of service or advice that involves 
2.22 	accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting 
2.23 	skills, as verified by a licensee and meeting requirements prescribed by the board by rule. 
2.24 	Acceptable experience may be gained through employment in government, industry, 
2.25 	academia, or public practice. Experience as an auditor in the Office of the Legislative Auditor 
2.26 	or the Office of the State Auditor, as verified by a licensee, is acceptable experience.

2.27 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 326A.03, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
2.28 	read:
2.29 		Subd. 6b.Transitional period. (a) Until July 1, 2030, a person must be granted an initial 
2.30 	certificate as a certified public accountant if the person meets either:
2.31 	(1) all requirements under subdivision 6; or
3.1 	(2) all requirements under subdivision 6a.
3.2 	(b) This section expires July 1, 2030.

3.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective January 1, 2026.

3.4 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 326A.14, is amended to read:
3.5 	326A.14 SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCY MOBILITY.
3.6 		Subdivision 1.Requirements. (a) An individual whose principal place of business is 
3.7 	not in this state and who holds a valid license in good standing as a certified public accountant 
3.8 	from any state which, upon verification, is in substantial equivalence with the certified 
3.9 	public accountant licensure requirements of section 326A.03, subdivisions 3, 4, and 6, shall 
3.10 	be presumed to have qualifications substantially equivalent to this state's requirements and 
3.11 	shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license., 
3.12 	if the person:
3.13 	(1) holds a valid certificate, license, or permit to practice as a certified public accountant 
3.14 	that was issued in another state and is in good standing to practice as a certified public 
3.15 	accountant in that state;
3.16 	(2) has a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited postsecondary school with an 
3.17 	accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by the board by rule; and
3.18 	(3) has passed the Uniform CPA Examination.
3.19 	(b) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this chapter, an individual who offers or 
3.20 	renders professional services, whether in person, by mail, telephone, or electronic means, 
3.21 	under this paragraph (a): (1) shall be granted practice privileges in this state; (2) is subject 
3.22 	to the requirements in paragraph (c); and (3) is not required to provide any notice or other 
3.23 	submission.
3.24 	(b) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state and who holds a 
3.25 	valid license in good standing as a certified public accountant from any state whose certified 
3.26 	public accountant licensure qualifications, upon verification, are not substantially equivalent 
3.27 	with the licensure requirements of section 326A.03, subdivisions 3, 4, and 6, shall be 
3.28 	presumed to have qualifications substantially equivalent to this state's requirements and 
3.29 	shall have all the privileges of licensees of this state without the need to obtain a license if 
3.30 	the individual obtains verification, as specified in board rule, that the individual's 
3.31 	qualifications are substantially equivalent to the licensure requirements of section 326A.03, 
3.32 	subdivisions 3, 4, and 6. For purposes of this paragraph, any individual who passed the 
4.1 	Uniform CPA Examination and holds a valid license issued by any other state prior to 
4.2 	January 1, 2009, is exempt from the education requirement in section 326A.03, subdivision 
4.3 	6, paragraph (a), provided the individual meets the education requirement in section 326A.03, 
4.4 	subdivision 3. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this chapter, an individual who 
4.5 	offers or renders professional services, whether in person, by mail, telephone, or electronic 
4.6 	means, under this paragraph: (1) shall, after the verification specified by adopted rules, be 
4.7 	granted practice privileges in this state; (2) is subject to the requirements in paragraph (c); 
4.8 	and (3) is not required to provide any notice or other submission.
4.9 	(c) An individual licensee of another state exercising the privilege afforded under this 
4.10 	section and the firm which employs that licensee are deemed to have consented, as a condition 
4.11 	of the grant of this privilege:
4.12 	(1) to the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board;
4.13 	(2) to comply with this chapter and the board's rules;
4.14 	(3) to the appointment of the state board that issued the license as the licensee's agent 
4.15 	upon whom process may be served in any action or proceeding by this board against the 
4.16 	licensee; and
4.17 	(4) to cease offering or rendering professional services in this state individually and on 
4.18 	behalf of a firm in the event the license issued by the state of the individual's principal place 
4.19 	of business is no longer valid or in good standing.
4.20 	(d) An individual who has been granted practice privileges under this section who 
4.21 	performs attest services as defined in section 326A.01, subdivision 2, clause (1), (4), or (5), 
4.22 	for any entity with its headquarters in this state, may only do so through a firm which has 
4.23 	obtained a permit under section 326A.05.
4.24 		Subd. 2.Use of title in another state. A licensee of this state offering or rendering 
4.25 	services or using the CPA title in another state is subject to the same disciplinary action in 
4.26 	this state for which the licensee would be subject to discipline for an act committed in the 
4.27 	other state. The board shall investigate any complaint made by the board of accountancy 
4.28 	of another state.

4.29 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

4.30 	Sec. 5. REPEALER; SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCE.
 4.31 	Minnesota Rules, part 1105.7900, item D, is repealed.

4.32 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

APPENDIX 
1105.7900SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCY. D.
 Individuals required by Minnesota Statutes, section 326A.14, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), to obtain a verification that their individual qualifications are substantially equivalent to the licensure requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 326A.03, subdivisions 3, 4, and 6, shall obtain the verification from the NASBA National Qualification Appraisal Service prior to rendering professional services in this state. Documentation supporting this verification must be maintained by the individual for a minimum period of six years and must be submitted to the board upon request.