March 2000

Society Leaders Meet with Albany Lawmakers

Express Support for Accountancy Law Reform

NYSSCPA leaders visited Albany on February 15 to express support for bills to amend the state's accountancy laws. Led by Society President Alan E. Weiner, a group of past presidents and other members met with key state senators and assemblypersons and their staff to reiterate the NYSSCPA's support for S. 4402 and A. 8600. Senate and Assembly leaders introduced these bills during the 1999 legislative session to add certain recommendations set forth in the Uniform Accountancy Act to state accountancy laws. (For more information on S. 4402, A. 8600, or the UAA, see http://www.nysscpa.org.)

Past Presidents Marilyn Pendergast of Urbach, Kahn & Werlin PC and Francis Nusspickel of Arthur Andersen LLP and active industry member Thomas Sullivan, internal auditor for the National Football League, represented the Society. Rudolph Hertlein, vice president for corporate development at Viacom International, also provided testimony.

The group first met with the chief counsel to Senator Nicholas Spano (Westchester), one of the two lead sponsors of the Senate bill. The group next visited Assemblyman Michael Bragman (Syracuse), one of the two lead sponsors of the Assembly bill, and his top staff. After a lengthy and productive meeting, the group went to the capitol to meet with Senator Kenneth LaValle (Suffolk), the other lead Senate bill sponsor.

The Society group also met with Assemblyman Edward C. Sullivan (Manhattan), the other lead sponsor of the Assembly bill; Assembly Minority Leader John Faso; Frank Gluchowski, legislative counsel for Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno; and Ed Wasserman, chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Martin Connor.

Weiner began each meeting with a description of the NYSSCPA and its members and explained the Society's support for pending legislation to update accountancy laws. He said that the laws are outdated and do not reflect current CPA practice.

Representatives of specific Society membership segments, in turn, expressed their reasons for supporting the legislation.

"At each meeting, the lawmaker and staff asked incisive questions and exhibited a deep understanding of the profession and the issues currently being debated within the profession," Weiner said. "I was very impressed by their knowledge of the profession. I left Albany with a renewed respect and regard for the legislative process."

Watch The Trusted Professional and http://www.nysscpa.org for updates on the bills. *