States Push to Relax Education Rules in Bid for More Accountants

More than a dozen states are preparing to turn back the clock on licensing rules for accountants, bringing back standards common before the Enron era and the dot-com bubble.

Florida, Indiana, and Texas are among states preparing to revise state licensing requirements in a bid to broaden the pool of qualified accountants with a faster, cheaper path to earn their credential. Ohio, Virginia, and Utah have already adopted similar reforms.

The legislation takes aim at education rules that date back to the 1990s requiring CPA candidates to earn an additional year of college credits, delaying the start of their careers. ...