Arizona § 32-703 - Powers and duties; rules; executive director; advisory committees and individuals

§ 32-703. Powers and duties; rules; executive director; advisory committees and individuals

A. The primary duty of the board is to protect the public from unlawful, incompetent, unqualified or unprofessional certified public accountants through certification, regulation and rehabilitation.

B. The board may:

1. Investigate complaints filed with the board or on its own motion to determine whether a certified public accountant has engaged in conduct in violation of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.

2. Establish and maintain high standards of competence, independence and integrity in the practice of accounting by a certified public accountant as required by generally accepted auditing standards and generally accepted accounting principles and, in the case of publicly held corporations or enterprises offering securities for sale, in accordance with state or federal securities agency accounting requirements.

3. Establish reporting requirements that require registrants to report:

(a) The imposition of any discipline on the right to practice before the federal securities and exchange commission, the internal revenue service, any state board of accountancy, other government agencies or the public company accounting oversight board.

(b) Any criminal conviction, any civil judgment involving negligence in the practice of accounting by a certified public accountant and any judgment or order as described in section 32-741, subsection A, paragraphs 7 and 8.

4. Establish basic requirements for continuing professional education of certified public accountants, except that the requirements shall not exceed eighty hours in any registration renewal period.

5. Adopt procedures concerning disciplinary actions, administrative hearings and consent decisions.

6. Issue to qualified applicants certificates executed for and on behalf of the board by the signatures of the president and secretary of the board.

7. Adopt procedures and rules to administer this chapter.

8. Require peer review pursuant to rules adopted by the board on a general and random basis of the professional work of a registrant engaged in the practice of accounting.

9. Subject to title 41, chapter 4, article 4, employ an executive director and other personnel that it considers necessary to administer and enforce this chapter.

10. Appoint accounting and auditing, tax, peer review, law, certification, continuing professional education or other committees or individuals as it considers necessary to advise or assist the board or the board's executive director in administering and enforcing this chapter.  These committees and individuals serve at the pleasure of the board.

11. Take all action that is necessary and proper to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

12. Sue and be sued in its official name as an agency of this state.

13. Adopt and amend rules concerning the definition of terms, the orderly conduct of the board's affairs and the effective administration of this chapter.

14. Delegate to the executive director the authority to:

(a) Approve an applicant to take the uniform certified public accountant examination pursuant to section 32-723.

(b) Issue a certificate of certified public accountant pursuant to section 32-721.

(c) Approve an application for firm registration pursuant to section 32-731.

(d) Approve a registrant's name change and reissue a certificate of certified public accountant due to the name change.

(e) Approve a registrant's cancellation request pursuant to section 32-730.02.

(f) Approve a request for retired status pursuant to section 32-730.04.

(g) Approve reactivation from inactive status or retired status pursuant to section 32-732.

(h) Approve compliance with peer review requirements pursuant to this section.

(i) Approve compliance with continuing professional education audits.

(j) Approve continuing professional education compliance with decisions and orders.

(k) Terminate decisions and orders based on a registrant's successful completion of all order requirements.

(l) Approve a request for continuing professional education reciprocity.

C. The board or an authorized agent of the board may:

1. Issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documents.  If a subpoena is disobeyed, the board may invoke the aid of any court in requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documents.

2. Administer oaths and take testimony.

3. Cooperate with the appropriate authorities in other jurisdictions in investigation and enforcement concerning violations of this chapter and comparable statutes of other jurisdictions.

4. Receive evidence concerning all matters within the scope of this chapter.