Pub. 3 2021 Issue 2

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 1 8 nebraska cpas S TAT E B O A R D R E P O R T LOOKING BACK, FORGING AHEAD BY DAN SWEETWOOD, NEBRASKA BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY COVID 19-Pandemic. It seems unreal but we reached the one- year anniversary of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am extremely proud of your State Board’s response to the pandemic including minimal disruption to operations. Although the Board cancelled meetings with the goal of protecting members, staff, and the public, we later were able to meet virtually after Governor Pete Ricketts issued executive orders allowing for the meetings. The State Board continues to hold virtual meetings, including in January and March of this year. UniformCPA Examination. The pandemic has disrupted the CPA examination; however, our Nebraska test sites responded well and mostly remained open and operational (it should be noted as of late March the Omaha site has closed temporarily). Additionally, those candidates impacted were given the opportunity to extend the 18-month window to complete the examination throughDecember 31, 2020. At its March meeting, the State Board provided a further extension for those impacted until September 30, 2021. On the national front, the Board of Examiners (BOE) has launched a pilot project to allow for remote testing within a candidate’s home and/ or other approved locations in response to emergencies such as the pandemic in the future. More to come on this. Two Task Forces Addressing Issues. The State Board has launched a task force to review regulations within Chapter 5/ Rules of Professional Conduct. Several State Boards have adopted the AICPA Uniform Code of Conduct to address regulatory issues and have removed their specific state codes, as we have in Nebraska. Other charges of the Chapter 5/Rules of Professional Conduct Task Force are to ensure the current Chapter 5 rules are relevant, modernized, and in line with the need to protect the public. Recommendations from this task force will be made to the State Board. In addition to myself and State Board staff, task force members on this important project include Dr. Thomas Purcell, CPA, chairman; Dan Davis, CPA, vice chairman;