FICPA legislative update highlights advocacy efforts as Florida moves closer to the 2026 election season

Florida – With Florida’s 2026 general election approaching, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants is using the weeks ahead to connect with members, lawmakers and state accounting officials as it prepares for the 2027 Legislative Session.

Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 3, and lawmakers are currently spending time in their home districts while campaigning and preparing for issues expected to receive attention during the next legislative session.

For the FICPA Governmental Affairs Team, the period provides an opportunity to meet with members at local chapter events while continuing to develop relationships with policymakers who will play a role in shaping state policy.

Those efforts recently brought several FICPA leaders to Orlando.

On Friday, FICPA President and CEO Shelly Weir, Chief External Affairs Officer Jason Harrell and Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Jesse Christian attended a Florida Board of Accountancy meeting. Jennifer Green, president of Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, was also in attendance.

The FICPA has maintained a close working relationship with the Florida Board of Accountancy and has spent the past two years working to protect the Board from proposals that could have eliminated it.

The organization continues to support the Board and its role in overseeing Florida’s accounting profession.

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Outreach has also been taking place through local FICPA chapters.

Last week, Harrell visited the FICPA’s Brevard Chapter, where he discussed developments from the 2026 Legislative Session and looked ahead to the upcoming election and the organization’s legislative priorities for 2027.

The Brevard Chapter includes many longtime FICPA members, and the organization thanked those members for their continued participation and support for its advocacy work.

Members who want to become more involved can participate through their local FICPA chapters and attend events held in their areas.

Attention is also beginning to turn toward one of the organization’s major annual advocacy events.

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The next CPA Day at the Capitol is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2027, in Tallahassee, and registration is already open.

The event gives CPAs an opportunity to meet with state lawmakers and discuss issues affecting the profession ahead of the legislative session.

Last year’s CPA Day at the Capitol set a participation record for the organization. More than 150 FICPA representatives either met with lawmakers or delivered legislative materials to every member of the Florida House and Senate.

Those efforts focused on advancing the organization’s legislative priorities and emphasizing the value of the CPA license.

FICPA is again encouraging its members to travel to Tallahassee for the 2027 event and take part in discussions surrounding legislation affecting the accounting profession.

The organization says participation will take on additional importance because Florida will have a new governor, Senate president and speaker of the House. The FICPA also noted that, for the first time in more than a decade, no CPA will serve in the Florida Legislature.

That makes direct engagement by accounting professionals an important part of the organization’s plans for the coming year.

FICPA members attending CPA Day at the Capitol do not need previous advocacy experience. According to the organization, both first-time participants and longtime attendees will receive the resources and support needed to participate.

Once at the Capitol, attendees will be placed into groups with FICPA staff or leadership. Those groups will then meet with legislators representing their regions.

During the meetings, CPAs will have an opportunity to explain their work, discuss the profession’s contributions and share their perspective on issues affecting accountants and their clients.

The upcoming event is part of a broader period of preparation for the FICPA Governmental Affairs Team.

With the Nov. 3 election approaching and the 2027 Legislative Session ahead, the organization is using the months before lawmakers return to Tallahassee to maintain relationships, connect with members and prepare its advocacy priorities for the year ahead.