# Virginia SB605: Accountancy, Board of; licensing requirements, inactive and emeritus status.

Virginia SB605, Accountancy, Board of; licensing requirements, inactive and emeritus status., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Mark D. Obenshain (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0235)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB605-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB605
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Accountancy, Board of; licensing requirements, inactive and emeritus status.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-14
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0235)
- Sponsor: Mark D. Obenshain (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (253 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Board of Accountancy; licensing requirements; inactive and emeritus status. Directs the Board of Accountancy to establish "Inactive" and "Emeritus" CPA license statuses for licensees who no longer provide services to the public or services to or on behalf of an employer. The bill requires the Board to develop guidelines to provide active and inactive licensees additional clarity governing the manner in which such licensees should reference autobiographical and biographical information with respect to their CPA licensure to remain historically accurate and compliant with the law and relevant regulations. The bill directs the Board of Accountancy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 870.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Convictions alone cannot block accountant titles: benefit, low. Virginia’s Board of Accountancy cannot deny someone the right to use the CPA title solely because of a criminal conviction. Other grounds for denial still apply.
- New options for nonpracticing Virginia accountants: benefit, low. The law requires Virginia’s Board of Accountancy to establish “CPA, Inactive” and “CPA, Emeritus” statuses. Applicants must hold a current Virginia license and no longer provide services to the public or for an employer. They must have no CPA-related investigation or disciplinary action pending in…
- Virginia clarifies rules for accountant titles: cost, low. The law defines when people, firms, and other entities count as using the CPA title in Virginia. It covers “CPA,” “Certified Public Accountant,” and “public accountant” when they suggest legal permission to provide professional services in Virginia. Holding a Virginia license or another state’s lic…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Mark D. Obenshain (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | House Amendment agreed to by Senate | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | House | Passed House with amendment Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-19 | House | Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) | pass | 21 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-10 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-09 | Senate | General Laws and Technology Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 |   |

## Actions (35)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0235) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 235 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB605) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB605ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-26: House Amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Passed House with amendment Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-24: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-24: committee amendment agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-24: Read third time (House)
- 2026-02-23: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-19: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-02-19: Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-13: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Referred to Committee on General Laws (House)
- 2026-02-13: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-10: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: General Laws and Technology Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB605) (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Committee substitute printed 26105604D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB605) (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100779D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216930.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216929.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186730.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186729.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178727.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170064.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170615.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127985.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127984.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127232.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127231.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091023.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091021.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216930.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216929.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186730.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186729.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178727.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170064.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170615.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127985.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127984.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127232.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127231.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091023.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091021.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB605-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).