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Who cares
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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A7691
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1037
- Referred to consumer protection
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to exemptions for the licensure of private investigators
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Robin Schimminger
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S4996
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to exemptions for the licensure of private investigators
Purpose
To exempt Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and CPA firms from the licensure requirements of private investigators.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends Section 83 of the General Business Law to exempt CPAs and CPA firms from the licensure requirements of private investigators.
Section 2 of the bill provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Existing law
None.
Justification
Currently, New York State law regulating private investigators may inadvertently require a CPA conducting forensic accounting work to become licensed as a private investigator. For example, CPAs who work as forensic accountants are often brought in when financial fraud is suspected. Investigating transactions of companies and individuals of companies falls under their responsibility as a forensic accountant. In addition, CPAs often conduct background checks when performing assessments of evaluation of work around a breach of privacy or cyber security attack.
Since CPAs are already regulated by the New York State Department of Education, they should be exempted from this dual licensure requirement and duplicative oversight from an additional state agency. Current New York statute explicitly provides exemptions from licensure as a private detective for other regulated professions such as State and local Police Officers/Detectives, attorneys, public and private insurance adjusters, personal and commercial credit screening businesses, licensed workers' compensation representatives, licensed Security/Fire Alarm protection businesses as well as investigators employed exclusively by one employer in relation to affairs of that employer and charitable organizations maintained for the public good and not for private profit.
Other states, including Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia as well as the District of Columbia have adopted laws to exempt CPAs from having to register as private investigators.
Legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.