What problem does it solve? Most of the licensing boards within the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) are too understaffed to investigate their licensees' compliance with their CE requirements. An "honor" system is used, which is easily abused by licensees who realize they will never be held accountable. What is your solution and who does it apply to? Create an investigative unit within the Newark office that audits the CE credits of licensees on behalf of all licensing boards within DCA, using random and targeted approaches. Letters would be sent to licensees that explain their specific CE requirement and gives them 15-30 days to submit a customized summary of their credits along with proof of completion. Questions regarding CE regulations, the audit, and penalty letters can be emailed directly to the unit. Fines would be collected either in full or via payments schedules. Failure to pay fines or comply with remedial actions would result in loss of license after 30 days' notice, with no right to reinstate until the fine is paid in full and/or specific deficiencies are corrected. What is the anticipated impact? Through education and enforcement, the Division ensures greater compliance of its licensees with each Board's CE requirements. Boards can analyze and adjust their CE requirements as needed to improve the quality of education obtained by its licensees, sometimes making requirements less onerous. Boards can devote less time to answering questions regarding CE. Fines for noncompliance would increase the operating budget of the Boards and/or plug holes in the State's budget. Boards could hire additional staff to fulfill their core duties. Licensing fees would not have to be increased due to supplemental income from fines. Investigative techniques and enforcement of CE regulations would be uniform. Audits would be conducted year-round, doing away with down time for staff when audits are not being conducted.
Audit: Record number of licensed N.J. accountants are lying about education Posted Nov 28, 2011 By Christopher Baxter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com https://www.nj.com/news/2011/11/audit_record_number_of_license.html
This Week at Consumer Affairs Dear Colleagues, We are constantly called upon to think outside the box, take a creative look at the tasks we perform every day, and find new, innovative ways to make our service to New Jersey’s consumers more efficient and more effective... http://10.10.139.22/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1303520/12022011.pdf
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