The legislation proposed by the Illinois CPA Society would create new pathways to becoming a licensed certified public accountant in response to the state’s accounting talent shortage.
CHICAGO, Feb. 3, 2025 – As the accounting profession adapts to pipeline issues, shifting demographics, and changing standards, the current certified public accountant (CPA) licensure framework must also evolve, says the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS), one of the largest state associations serving the CPA community.
Currently, the Illinois Public Accounting Act and Uniform Accountancy Act require Illinois CPA candidates to pass all portions of the CPA exam, complete 150 credit hours of qualifying education, and gain one year of relevant work experience to become licensed in the state—a structure that’s been in place since 2001. ICPAS believes this structure no longer supports the profession’s current and future workforce needs given the ongoing talent shortage and growing need for CPAs to serve the business community and protect public interests.
For more than a year, ICPAS has been reviewing licensure pathway proposals and exploring options to eliminate unnecessary barriers to entry into the CPA profession. Most notably, the time and costs required to become a CPA have been under increasing scrutiny. ICPAS worked closely with the Illinois Board of Examiners and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to draft legislation to evolve the state’s CPA licensure model to better meet the profession’s workforce demands.
Today, ICPAS is incredibly pleased to have Reps. Natalie Manley, CPA (D-Joliet), and Amy Elik, CPA (R-Edwardsville), sign on to introduce House Bill (HB) 2459, which amends the Illinois Public Accounting Act to create two additional pathways to CPA licensure in Illinois and enhance CPA practice privilege mobility. These new pathways include:
- Obtaining a bachelor’s degree with 120 credit hours of qualifying education (including a concentration in accounting), completing at least two years of relevant work experience, and passing the CPA exam.
- Obtaining a master’s degree, obtaining a bachelor’s degree with 30 hours of concentration in accounting, completing at least one year of relevant work experience, and passing the CPA exam.
“To be clear, HB 2459 will not alter the state’s existing route to licensure. Instead, this legislation establishes two additional pathways to obtain a CPA license in Illinois,” explains ICPAS President and CEO Geoffrey Brown, CAE. “Similar new pathways to licensure are also being explored or pursued legislatively in many of our neighboring states, including Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin.”
HB 2459 also establishes new requirements for out-of-state CPAs regarding practice privilege mobility. The bill ensures that out-of-state CPAs can continue to serve clients in Illinois without having to obtain an Illinois license if their issuing state’s licensure requirements are equivalent to Illinois’. The bill also ensures Illinois CPAs will have the same practice privileges outside of the state. Though the existing mobility structure is going to change nationwide, Illinois’ alignment with a significant number of states will greatly diminish any threats to Illinois-licensed CPAs’ practice privileges and keep Illinois CPAs at the forefront of the national business landscape.
“We would again like to acknowledge Reps. Manley and Elik for their partnership and commitment to advance this important initiative for the accounting profession in our state,” Brown says. “We look forward to continuing our advocacy efforts together to enhance the value of the CPA profession within—and beyond—our borders.”