Section 15.1 et seq. of this title shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Accountancy Act".

1. 1. The interest and protection of the citizens of this state requires that persons professing special competence in accountancy or offering assurance as to the reliability or fairness of presentation of such information shall have demonstrated their qualifications for such activities;
2. 2. Any person who has not demonstrated and maintained such qualifications including certificate holders or license holders not in public practice shall not be permitted to hold themselves out as having such special competence or to offer such assurance;
3. 3. The professional conduct of persons authorized by the state to hold themselves out as having special competence in accountancy shall be well versed in all aspects of the practice of public accounting; and

4. 4. The use of titles relating to the practice of public accounting that are likely to mislead the public as to the status or competence of the persons using such titles be prohibited.

   In order to implement the policy of this state, a public authority competent to prescribe and assess the qualifications and to regulate the professional conduct of practitioners of public accounting shall be established.

The Legislature hereby declares that in order to protect the citizens of this state, it shall be the policy of this state to promote the reliability of information used for guidance in financial transactions for accounting for or assessing the financial status or performance of commercial, noncommercial, and governmental enterprises.

The Legislature further declares that:

Added by Laws 1965, SB 286, c. 188, § 1, emerg. eff. June 8, 1965; Amended by Laws 1968, HB 1216, c. 271, § 1, emerg. eff. April 30, 1968; Amended by Laws 1992, HB 2340, c. 272, § 1, eff. September 1, 1992; Amended by Laws 2002, SB 1429, c. 312, § 1, eff. November 1, 2002.