OSCPA Advocacy Update

By Blaine Peterson, CPA

The 2022 legislative session has officially been a success!

Both SB1253 and SB1760 were signed by Gov. Stitt on April 20 and will take effect Nov. 1, 2022. These bills modernize the Oklahoma Accountancy Act to accommodate CPA Examination changes that will take effect in 2024 and modify the structure of the Oklahoma Accountancy Board.

Thank you to our members for responding to the OSCPA’s call to action by contacting legislators and expressing support for these bills. We aim to amplify the voice of the profession on these matters, which is not possible without the help of our members.

We also want to give special thanks to fellow members, Sen. Tom Dugger, CPA, and Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, CPA, for authoring these bills and navigating them through the legislative process. Their leadership in the Oklahoma legislature, combined with the collective voice of our members, continues to promote and highlight the CPA profession as a major resource and influencer in our state.

This result also highlights the great work by the CPA-PAC. Annual contributions allow members to pool the necessary resources and foster relationships with Oklahoma legislators. I encourage each of you to include a contribution with your membership in May so that the momentum from this legislative session can be carried into 2022 elections, as well as prepare legislative priorities for next year.

The OSCPA will continue to monitor key legislation through the remainder of the legislative session. This final month of session can be hectic as the Oklahoma legislature is required to approve a state budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year (prior to adjourning on or before May 27). As a result, revenue bills will likely be debated in these final weeks. We will also continue to monitor bills focused on reducing Oklahoma income tax and eliminating the Oklahoma franchise tax.

Finally, I hope you will join us at the OSCPA’s Meet Your Legislator event on May 4. This will be our first live event at the Capitol since March of 2020 and will provide a great mix of advocacy and networking.

The OSCPA advocacy team will be available during the event to assist attendees as they navigate the Capitol to schedule meetings with legislators. This free event is the perfect opportunity for you to advocate for your profession and impact change.

We look forward to celebrating this year’s success on May 4! If you have questions about the event or how you can get involved in OSCPA Advocacy, please reach out to our team.