Senate panel and floor back new pathways to CPA licensure; S.176 carried over after amendment

Senators on March 11 adopted a committee amendment and a floor amendment to S.176, a measure that revises education and experience requirements for Certified Public Accountant licensure in South Carolina, and then carried the bill over for later consideration.

Senator Clymer (Senator from York) explained that S.176 makes “a number of sort minor changes to the practice act governing CPAs,” and described the most substantive change as creating an alternative pathway to licensure that reduces the degree requirement for some applicants. He said the bill would allow candidates either the existing bachelor’s-plus-master’s pathway, or a bachelor’s degree plus two years of supervised practice, lowering a barrier to entry in communities short of CPAs.

A later floor amendment by Senator Clymer added a third pathway: a bachelor’s degree, 30 hours of relevant post‑bachelor coursework, and one year of supervised practice. The Senate adopted the amendment by voice vote and then carried the bill over.

Nut graf: The package of amendments creates multiple licensure options intended to increase the supply of CPAs without changing the exam requirement; supporters said the change balances workforce needs with professional standards.

Sponsors said the measure keeps the existing CPA exam requirement in place. Senator Clymer said, “you can keep doing that if you want to, or you can just have a bachelor's degree and 2 years of practice in the field.” The transcript shows no recorded floor opposition during the amendments’ adoption. After the amendments were adopted, the motion to carry S.176 over was approved on the floor.

Ending: S.176 now contains three alternate pathways to licensure; the bill was carried over for later Senate consideration and did not receive a final passage during the March 11 session.