2026 Session adjourned: FICPA saves Board of Accountancy from elimination  

By Shelly Weir, President & CEO, and Jason Harrell, Chief External Affairs Officer

On Friday, the Florida Legislature adjourned the 2026 Regular Session sine die. 

However, due to ongoing negotiations between the chambers, the House and Senate did not complete the state budget in the 60-day Regular Session.   

Both presiding officers announced that they plan to continue their negotiations and convene for a Special Session to complete the state budget in mid-April. The Legislature must pass a budget before July 1, 2026.  

When lawmakers reconvene in April, we will remain vigilant and ensure the profession is well-represented. The FICPA Governmental Affairs Team will also keep our members apprised of any other announcements pertaining to Special Sessions. 

That said, today’s action adjourning the 2026 Regular Session sine die, means that all bills filed for the 2026 Session that have not passed both chambers can no longer be considered.   

What we are pleased to share today  

After an extremely difficult battle that has lasted the better part of two Sessions and 12 calendar months, we are happy to share that the bill that would have eliminated the Florida Board of Accountancy and greatly damaged the CPA profession in Florida did not pass during the 2026 Regular Session.   

The FICPA has, for the second time in less than a year, saved the Board of Accountancy from elimination and protected your license. 

Our success required both the backing of a united profession and an all-out effort from our team at the FICPA.  We were on the front lines of a fight the profession could not afford to lose.  

We want to thank the many members of the Legislature for their support and work to support Florida CPAs. We also want to thank our members for their unwavering support as the FICPA took the lead on this important issue. 

We will share more details in the weeks and months ahead, but as Session concludes, here is what you need to know. 

• HB 607 – Industries and Professional Activities, which would have eliminated the Florida Board of Accountancy, quickly advanced through its first two committees. But we are pleased to say, thanks to a tremendous joint effort from the FICPA and others, the bill did not advance through its final committee or to the House floor.  

While we are ecstatic that we were successful in preventing the elimination of the Board, it was not without a cost.  

• The FICPA’s priority bill, SB 364 – Public Accountancy by Sen. Gruters / HB 333 – Public Accountancy by Rep. Blanco, a very good CPA licensure efficiency bill that would have streamlined processes and opened new pathways to licensure without lowering standards, did not pass. Once again, the policy was supported. Like last year, SB 364 quickly passed the Florida Senate. However, HB 333 was never heard in the House. Therefore, sadly, the bill will not become law this year. 

We understand that this is incredibly disappointing – especially for our students, many of whom would benefit from additional pathways to licensure offered in the bill.  

But we want to make one point very clear: Our proposal received near-universal praise in both chambers across both Sessions.  Indeed, the bill, sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters, CPA, has twice passed Florida Senate, by unanimous votes of 39-0 and 35-0.  

But had the Board been eliminated and the CPA license in Florida been so diminished, nothing else would have mattered. The bottom line: We faced the most serious threat to the profession in decades. That had to be the priority.  

At the end of the day, this Session was a success.  

To Current Students and Aspiring CPAs in Florida 

Rest assured, the FICPA will continue to support new pathways and licensure efficiencies, and we look forward to refiling our bill in 2027. We know this year’s outcome is not what we collectively wanted, but we will get there.  Florida is an economic powerhouse and growing even larger. Stay  the course and trust that the FICPA will never stop advocating for you.    

To Stakeholders in the Profession   

It is not lost on us that the spotlight has been shining bright on Florida these last 12 months.  They say pressure is a privilege.  It has been our privilege to feel that pressure, as Florida withstood the most significant deregulatory threat of our lifetime.  It is our honor to represent this profession – especially when the pressure is highest and our unity matters most.    

But we must take this threat seriously. This is a moment to reflect, modernize and strengthen the profession for the future.  

To Our FICPA Members 

We invite you to register for our post-Session Town Hall on March 23, as we walk you through the last 60 days and look ahead to the Special Sessions on the horizon. 

In closing, we want to tell you how proud we are of the strength of the FICPA’s advocacy program. Our success the last two years is the direct result of your membership.  

In the year ahead, the FICPA will explore all possible avenues to ensure the long-term viability of the profession in Florida. You deserve nothing less.   

Thank you again for providing us with the support we need to stand up for you when it matters most.  

You’ve  worked hard for your license. We work hard to defend it.