The end of the year is an exciting and busy time for many of us, for so many reasons! Before we know it, 2024 will be on our doorsteps and, wow, as I reflect on some of the year’s highlights, I cannot overstate my appreciation for our MICPA Advocacy team and all the member-volunteers who have collaborated with us to advocate for the profession!
Throughout 2023, the MICPA has been meeting in Lansing to work with the many first-time lawmakers in the Michigan Legislature to demonstrate the important role CPAs play as partners in policy. We have met with 12 of Michigan’s 15 U.S. congressional representatives and reached out to all 15 members of Michigan’s congressional delegation to consider co-sponsorship of the following policies:
- S.866 the American Innovation and Jobs Act, S.2623/ HR4035 the Protecting Small Business Information Act of 2023. This measure seeks to delay the upcoming Jan. 1, 2024 effective date of beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements, a broad-spectrum legislative move impacting over 80% of U.S. accounting firms and practices RIGHT NOW.
- S.1705/HR3541 the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act. Not only has Congressman Dan Kildee (D – MI 8) signed on as a cosponsor to the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing (SAFE) Act to create a safe harbor for tax filing extensions, but he is also cosponsoring the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act, a bill introduced by Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D – MI 11) which would officially recognize the accounting profession as part of the STEM curricula.
We’ve created a new Pints & Politics event series to second act On the Road with members across Michigan. This happy hour event connects MICPA members in an area with their local elected officials, bringing relevant legislative updates to the people they impact most: you.
These are just a few examples of how we have and continue to advocate for you, connecting with state government to ensure CPA voices get heard. But to keep the conversation going, we rely on your support of the MICPA bipartisan political action committee (PAC) which funds all of these advocacy efforts.
I hope you will continue your support of our advocacy initiatives by contributing to the MICPA PAC. Please consider making your contribution today. And thank you for supporting us, I know together we can continue to make change.