This week U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Haley Stevens (MI-11) reintroduced a bill that will allow accounting to be recognized as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field.
The legislation is called Accounting STEM Pursuit Act of 2025 (H.R. 2911). According to Kim's website, this is a bipartisan bill that will pave the way for the accounting profession to be recognized as a "vital" STEM field while letting K-12 STEM grant funding to be utilized for accounting awareness and education.
According to the Southern Illinois University, STEM is an interdisciplinary approach that assists students to succeed in college and in their future careers. The focus of a STEM education is hands-on and problem-based learning.
“STEM educational opportunities are vital to our economy and national security, helping students get good paying jobs and boosting our nation’s competitiveness,” Kim noted. “Accounting is a STEM field important to all U.S. industries, and building a CPA pipeline is more important than ever in our dynamic, 21st century economy. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan bill to uplift students with the skills they need to contribute to our workforce and support our future economy.”
”Quality, accessible STEM education is the path to a good paying job and all students should have access to it,” Stevens stated. “That’s why I am introducing the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act of 2025, which will introduce students to opportunities in the accounting profession early on to strengthen the future of this vital industry and ensure that accounting, a field increasingly intertwined with technology, is accessible to all students.”
The AICPA is supportive of the bill. Susan Coffey, CEO of Public Accounting at the AICPA said that “For years, STEM curriculum has been a driving force in our education system, providing students with the education needed to develop critical skills that will allow them to compete in a global economy. Accounting has always embodied the values of STEM education, and we believe now is the time to recognize accounting as a STEM curriculum.”
Coffey added that STEM recognition for accounting will aid in exposing students from all backgrounds to the profession aside from boosting the accounting pipeline. It will also increase the opportunities for students in different communities.
In a piece for Bloomberg Tax in November 2023, Jan Taylor, AICPA's senior director and academic in residence, said that "Accountants harness math and develop technology to solve complex issues, empower communities, and drive trust in financial markets. By recognizing the profession as a STEM field, more students will be exposed to a career in accounting."