Advocacy is strongest when CPAs are informed, engaged, and willing to share their expertise. To highlight this, the PICPA held its inaugural Advocacy Day for members so they can get a look behind the scenes at advocacy in action.
On Sept. 16, nearly 100 PICPA members gathered in Harrisburg for PICPA’s inaugural Advocacy Day. This exclusive event was designed to deepen members’ understanding of Pennsylvania’s policymaking environment and highlight the many ways that the PICPA advocates for the CPA profession.
The day offered members a look behind the scenes at advocacy in action. Not only did we discuss the issues currently before the Pennsylvania legislature, but we also looked at tax policy, professional licensure, civil justice, business competitiveness, and the regulatory and standards-setting processes that shape the profession.
More importantly, the event explained how advocacy is much more than what happens when a bill reaches the Capitol. Advocacy is about building relationships, providing technical expertise, staying informed, and making sure the voice of the profession is part of the rules-making conversations.
The Legislative Landscape
The day kicked off with PICPA government relations staff, Peter Calcara and Mara Brough, providing an overview of the current legislative session, the PICPA priorities still in play as the session winds down, and the issues the organization is preparing to address in the months ahead.
Lee Rogers, PhD, PICPA’s director of strategic research and insights, joined the session to discuss PICPA’s Tax Policy Blueprint project. Pennsylvania faces an ongoing structural budget challenge that is expected to become a significant issue in next year’s budget negotiations. A sizable gap between revenues and expenses means tax policy will likely be part of budget conversations in 2027, whether CPAs are part of that conversation or not.
The PICPA believes we must be.
Through the Tax Policy Blueprint, PICPA is proactively working to bring objective, nonpartisan analysis and the technical expertise of the profession to the discussion. The project will examine Pennsylvania’s tax system and potential areas for reform, providing policymakers, business leaders, and taxpayers with information they can use to better understand the choices facing the commonwealth. Look for more coverage of the Tax Policy Blueprint in future CPA Now posts (sign up for blog notifications) and in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal.
Why the Legal Landscape Matters
Advocacy extends beyond legislation and tax policy. Curt Schroder, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform, joined members to discuss Pennsylvania’s legal landscape and why civil justice policy matters to CPAs.
Schroder provided an overview of the coalition’s work, which focuses on a fair and predictable civil justice system, and highlighted how changes to the legal environment can have implications for businesses and organizations – the clients CPAs serve.
The discussion reinforced an important point: effective advocacy starts with understanding the broader policy environment and how different issues intersect with the profession and the business community.
Protecting the Value of the CPA License
Jen Cryder, PICPA CEO, shared with attendees another issue receiving significant attention across the accounting profession: professional licensure reforms.
Cryder explained how the national landscape of deregulation is intersecting with the CPA license, including proposals emerging in other states that could significantly alter professional licensing requirements.
Pennsylvania currently has no active CPA-specific legislative measures concerning licensure. However, the PICPA is monitoring developments nationally and is preparing for the possibility that similar conversations could emerge in Pennsylvania.
That proactive approach will build on PICPA’s successful advocacy for Act 27 of 2025, which modernized Pennsylvania’s CPA licensure law while maintaining professional standards and public protection.
Advocacy is not simply about reacting to threats already in motion. It is also about understanding what is happening across the country, anticipating potential issues, and making sure the profession is prepared.
Beyond the Capital
Allison M. Henry, CPA, PICPA’s vice president of professional and technical standards, demonstrated another important side of advocacy: influencing regulations and professional standards before they are finalized.
Henry discussed PICPA’s strategic advocacy work to promote clear, consistent, and practical regulatory requirements. She shared examples, including PICPA’s work with Pennsylvania Department of Education surrounding Act 55 charter school audits to clarify standards and their application.
She also highlighted PICPA’s engagement in national standard-setting and regulatory discussions, including work involving the AICPA Professional Ethics Executive Committee, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The goal is straightforward: ensure the profession’s voice is heard before standards and regulations are finalized.
That work may not always generate headlines, but it can have a direct impact on how CPAs practice.
Inside the Four Caucuses
Members were able to hear directly from top legislative staff during an interactive panel, Inside the Four Caucuses – Perspectives from Executive Directors.
Moderated by PICPA’s Charles Waring, CPA, the panel included Anne Baloga, chief of staff to House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Bradford; Tony Aliano, chief of staff to House Republican Leader Rep. Jesse Topper; Carlton Logue, chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Sen. Joe Pittman; and Stephen Bruder, policy director for the Senate Democratic Caucus.
The panelists offered practical advice on engaging in advocacy and shared examples of what makes outreach to policymakers effective. They also emphasized the value of hearing directly from subject-matter experts – such as CPAs. Legislative staff do not have deep knowledge on every issue that comes before them, and the panelists discussed how they rely on organizations like the PICPA to help them understand the technical details behind legislation.
Whether you ever recognized it or not, the expertise of CPAs truly is particularly valuable in the legislative arena. The PICPA has built a strong reputation in the Capitol, and our members have an important role to play by sharing their knowledge and experiences when issues arise that affect their profession, their clients’ businesses, and their communities.
The Pennsylvania Business Climate
Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, broadened the conversation to Pennsylvania’s overall business climate.
Bernstein shared his perspective on what is working in Pennsylvania, where challenges remain, and the Chamber’s efforts to attract and retain businesses in the commonwealth.
Many of the issues affecting Pennsylvania’s business climate are also issues that matter to CPAs and their clients, including taxes, regulations, and workforce and economic development.
The discussion provided a broader context for PICPA’s advocacy work and reinforced that the profession does not operate in isolation. CPAs are part of Pennsylvania’s larger business community, and the policy decisions shaping that environment can have a direct impact on the businesses and organizations they serve.
Looking Ahead
The day concluded with a November Election Preview from Jim Lee, president and CEO of Susquehanna Polling and Research. The session provided members with an opportunity to better understand the political environment heading into the November election and consider how changes in Harrisburg could affect the policymaking landscape.
But the day’s larger message was not about any one election, bill, or policy issue. It was about participation.
Everything members heard throughout the day – from Pennsylvania’s fiscal challenges and legal landscape to professional regulation, business competitiveness, and how issues move through Harrisburg – pointed to the same thing. The CPA profession has a voice, and that voice matters most when we use it.
Advocacy is strongest when CPAs are informed, engaged, and willing to share their expertise. The PICPA is always looking for more members to get involved, whether that means participating in a committee, lending your expertise to an issue, responding to an advocacy request, or taking part in future events like PICPA's Day on the Hill. There is a role for CPAs at every experience level and area of interest.
Check out the photos from this year's Advocacy Day on PICPA's members-only AccounTable community website.
If you are ready to get more involved, we want to hear from you. Contact PICPA’s government relations team at governmentrelations@picpa.org to learn more about advocacy opportunities and find the right way for you to participate.
And be sure to mark June 15, 2027, on your calendar for Day on the Hill at Harrisburg University. Advocacy Day was about learning how the process works. Day on the Hill will be about putting that knowledge into action – meeting with legislators, building relationships, and making sure the CPA perspective is heard in the Capitol.
The inaugural Advocacy Day was just the beginning. We hope you will take the next step with us.
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