Momentum matters. And right now, the CPA profession in Nebraska has it!

LB718—legislation that will create an additional pathway to CPA licensure in Nebraska—has been approved and signed by the governor. This is a defining moment for our profession and for the future of Nebraska’s accounting workforce.

LB718 adds a pathway to CPA licensure requiring a bachelor’s degree and two years of experience, while maintaining the bachelor’s plus 30-hours or master’s degree pathways with one year of experience. No matter the pathway, passage of the Uniform CPA Exam is always required. In many ways, LB718 is a bit of “back to the future”—bringing back a bachelor’s-plus-experience route that echoes the profession’s earlier entry model, before Nebraska’s 150-hour exam-eligibility standard took effect in the early 1990s. At the same time, this approach reflects today’s realities. It preserves rigor and public protection while expanding access, helping Nebraska compete, recruit, and retain talented professionals in a changing workforce environment.

Reaching this point did not happen by accident. It reflects more than a year of thoughtful preparation, careful collaboration, and advocacy by members of the Nebraska Society of CPAs and Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy, volunteer leaders, educators, and stakeholders across the state. We are grateful to our chairman, Jodi Eckhout of Woods & Durham Chartered in Holdrege, for her clear and compelling testimony on behalf of the Nebraska Society of CPAs. She conveyed why modernizing licensure pathways is a “thoughtful, balanced solution that protects the public, removes unnecessary barriers for students, and helps ensure Nebraska has a strong, sustainable CPA workforce” and why now is the time to act.

We also extend sincere thanks to Drew Blossom of Omaha for testifying in support of the bill on behalf of the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy. The partnership between the Society and the State Board has been instrumental in ensuring that LB718 strikes the right balance between workforce opportunity and the high standards that protect the public and uphold the integrity of the CPA license.

Building Relationships With Policymakers

Advocacy was also front and center at the Society’s annual State Senators’ Reception & Dinner, held at The Cornhusker Marriott’s Renaissance Room on Jan. 6. The room was filled with meaningful conversations between CPAs and policymakers—discussions about tax policy, workforce challenges, economic growth, and the vital role our members play in communities across Nebraska. Relationships built and strengthened during evenings like this make legislative progress possible.

As a result, we are advancing the accounting profession, expanding opportunity, and ensuring Nebraska businesses and communities continue to benefit from trusted, highly qualified CPAs for decades to come.

Widening the Pipeline

While we celebrate legislative advancement, we are equally focused on building the pipeline—and widening it. For the 2026–2027 academic year, the Foundation of the Nebraska Society of CPAs will launch several brand-new scholarships at six Nebraska community colleges. These awards are designed to support students who intend to continue their education at a four-year college or university in Nebraska and plan to spend their career in the state. By investing earlier, we are creating stronger, more accessible pathways into the profession across our state.

Our Foundation’s Honor Roll of donors (see page 12) reflects the generosity and commitment of members and friends who believe deeply in the future of this profession. Your contributions fund scholarships, educational outreach initiatives like JoinTheFun.cpa, and programs that encourage students to pursue accounting and the CPA designation right here in Nebraska. You are not simply giving—you are investing in the profession’s next generation of trusted advisors.

All of this represents meaningful progress, but it is also part of a larger story. A story of a profession that adapts without compromising standards. A story of leaders who step forward. A story of members who advocate, mentor, donate, and engage.

Thank you for being part of that story.