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2026-07-06 17:26:56 -04:00

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type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags
type title description jurisdiction legislature session identifier citation classification subjects status primary_sponsors version_count action_count vote_count first_action last_action source source_identifier source_url source_hash vintage source_snapshot retrieved_at confidence tags
Bill Certification & Practice of Certified Public Accountants The act expands the ways in which individuals may become eligible for certification as a certified public accountant (CPA) in Colorado by creating 3 new education and experience pathways that may satisfy the requirements for CPA certification. The pathways become available for applicants beginning on January 1, 2027. The 3 pathways are:Obtaining a baccalaureate degree, completing 2 years of accounting-related work experience, completing a professional ethics course, and passing the written CPA exam;Obtaining a baccalaureate degree, completing 30 additional semester hours, completing one year of accounting-related work experience, completing a professional ethics course, and passing the written CPA exam; andObtaining a post-baccalaureate degree, completing one year of accounting-related work experience, completing a professional ethics course, and passing the written CPA exam. For each pathway, an applicant's work experience must:Meet the requirements set by the Colorado state board of accountancy (board) by rule;Include any type of service or advice representing certain accounting-related skills needed to serve the public at the time of initial certification; andBe verified by an actively licensed CPA who meets board requirements. Section 2 of the act conforms statutory provisions relating to an applicant's eligibility to sit for a CPA examination with the pathways to certification created by the act. Section 2 also reinforces that, regardless of an applicant's eligibility to sit for an exam, the applicant must complete one of the specified pathways in order to obtain a CPA certificate. Section 4 establishes that an individual CPA who is licensed or certified in good standing in another state or jurisdiction of the United States and whose principle place of business is located in another state or jurisdiction of the United States (out-of-state CPA) has all the same practice privileges as Colorado certificate holders, without the need to obtain a Colorado certificate, if the individual was required at their initial licensure or certification in the other state or jurisdiction of the United States to pass the uniform CPA examination and obtain a baccalaureate degree conferred by an accredited college or university. Additionally, the act continues the practice privileges of out-of-state CPAs who held practice privileges in Colorado as of December 31, 2024. Finally, the conferral of practice privileges upon out-of-state CPAs must be conducted in conformity with rules adopted by the board; except that the board shall not require an out-of-state CPA to provide a notice, fee, or other submission as a condition of exercising such practice privileges in Colorado.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) us/states/co Colorado General Assembly 2026A SB 76 Colorado SB 76 (2026A)
bill
Professions & Occupations
enacted
C. Richardson
L. Frizell
M. Snyder
R. Stewart
W. Lindstedt
7 14 3 2026-01-28 2026-05-04 openstates ocd-bill/d5e90276-5b6d-48e6-9556-ea3e0c55f8f0 https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-076 cfabb6d8c94130d1142d86e464071263e13876f3ecf4288a08f096e2ef1c44d8 2026-07-01 https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump 2026-07-06 reported
legislation
bill
us-co

Colorado SB 76 (2026A) — Certification & Practice of Certified Public Accountants

The act expands the ways in which individuals may become eligible for certification as a certified public accountant (CPA) in Colorado by creating 3 new education and experience pathways that may satisfy the requirements for CPA certification. The pathways become available for applicants beginning on January 1, 2027. The 3 pathways are:Obtaining a baccalaureate degree, completing 2 years of accounting-related work experience, completing a professional ethics course, and passing the written CPA exam;Obtaining a baccalaureate degree, completing 30 additional semester hours, completing one year of accounting-related work experience, completing a professional ethics course, and passing the written CPA exam; andObtaining a post-baccalaureate degree, completing one year of accounting-related work experience, completing a professional ethics course, and passing the written CPA exam. For each pathway, an applicant's work experience must:Meet the requirements set by the Colorado state board of accountancy (board) by rule;Include any type of service or advice representing certain accounting-related skills needed to serve the public at the time of initial certification; andBe verified by an actively licensed CPA who meets board requirements. Section 2 of the act conforms statutory provisions relating to an applicant's eligibility to sit for a CPA examination with the pathways to certification created by the act. Section 2 also reinforces that, regardless of an applicant's eligibility to sit for an exam, the applicant must complete one of the specified pathways in order to obtain a CPA certificate. Section 4 establishes that an individual CPA who is licensed or certified in good standing in another state or jurisdiction of the United States and whose principle place of business is located in another state or jurisdiction of the United States (out-of-state CPA) has all the same practice privileges as Colorado certificate holders, without the need to obtain a Colorado certificate, if the individual was required at their initial licensure or certification in the other state or jurisdiction of the United States to pass the uniform CPA examination and obtain a baccalaureate degree conferred by an accredited college or university. Additionally, the act continues the practice privileges of out-of-state CPAs who held practice privileges in Colorado as of December 31, 2024. Finally, the conferral of practice privileges upon out-of-state CPAs must be conducted in conformity with rules adopted by the board; except that the board shall not require an out-of-state CPA to provide a notice, fee, or other submission as a condition of exercising such practice privileges in Colorado.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

  1. Introduced (filed) — source
  2. Engrossed (committee substitute) — source
  3. Final Act (committee substitute) — source
  4. Reengrossed (committee substitute) — source
  5. Rerevised (committee substitute) — source
  6. Revised (committee substitute) — source
  7. Signed Act (committee substitute) — source

Votes

  • Refer Senate Bill 26-076 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. — pass (pass) · upper
  • Refer Senate Bill 26-076 to the Committee of the Whole. — pass (pass) · upper
  • BILL — pass (pass) · lower

Sponsors

  • C. Richardson — primary (person)
  • L. Frizell — primary (person)
  • M. Snyder — primary (person)
  • R. Stewart — primary (person)
  • W. Lindstedt — primary (person)
  • B. Kirkmeyer — cosponsor (person)
  • I. Jodeh — cosponsor (person)
  • J. Carson — cosponsor (person)
  • J. Coleman — cosponsor (person)
  • J. Marchman — cosponsor (person)
  • L. Liston — cosponsor (person)
  • M. Catlin — cosponsor (person)
  • R. Keltie — cosponsor (person)
  • R. Pelton — cosponsor (person)
  • S. Bright — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

  • 2026-05-04 Governor Signed executive-signature
  • 2026-04-23 Sent to the Governor executive-receipt
  • 2026-04-22 Signed by the Speaker of the House passage
  • 2026-04-22 Signed by the President of the Senate passage
  • 2026-04-02 House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments passage, reading-3
  • 2026-03-31 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
  • 2026-03-30 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
  • 2026-03-27 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
  • 2026-03-25 House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole committee-passage, referral-committee
  • 2026-02-18 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs & Labor introduction
  • 2026-02-18 Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments passage, reading-3
  • 2026-02-17 Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments reading-2
  • 2026-02-12 Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole committee-passage
  • 2026-01-28 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology introduction

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/d5e90276-5b6d-48e6-9556-ea3e0c55f8f0. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).