Governor introduces legislation to enact the Multistate Nurse Licensure Compact in Alaska

Nurses are a critical part of healthcare and make up the largest section of the health profession. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 275,000 additional nurses are needed from 2020 to 2030, with employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a faster rate at 9% than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026.

Yet Alaska faces a significant nursing shortage, with projections indicating a high number of unfilled nursing positions, mostly in rural areas and specialized hospital programs. The state is grappling with a 24% vacancy rate, and hospitals are resorting to temporary travel nurses and facing increased costs.

The 2024 Alaska Healthcare Workforce Analysis shows Alaska hospitals experience a 22% vacancy rate in registered nurse positions and need over 1,400 new nursing recruits annually. Alaska’s nursing schools graduate around 325 students combined per year, and currently many of those nurses leave to establish residency in an NLC state so they can practice as a travel nurse.

Governor Mike Dunleavy has introduced legislation (HB 131, SB 124) to enter Alaska into the Multistate Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) which will bolster healthcare access and nursing opportunities across the state.

The NLC is the longest standing, most well-vetted professional licensure compact in the nation, with 43 U.S. jurisdictions already members, and another seven with legislation pending. By joining, Alaska will offer more attractive options to encourage new nursing graduates to retain or obtain residency in Alaska, increase flexibility and practice opportunities for existing Alaska nurses, and remove barriers that currently disincentives experienced nurses from other states from coming to, and especially establishing residency in, our state; all while retaining state sovereignty and ensuring public safety.

“The Nurse Licensure Compact is an essential part of the state’s priority to ensure we have the most competitive licensing process that attracts professional talent and allows them to get to work quickly,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “It will increase access to healthcare for all Alaskans and reduce redundant bureaucracy, while still ensuring our state retains full jurisdictional authority over nursing practice within our borders.”

“Alaska’s hospitals, healthcare facilities, and residents all need more access to qualified nurses. As the state projected to have the worst nursing shortage in the nation in the next five years, we need to do all we can to address this crisis now,” said Commissioner Julie Sande, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. “That is why the Nurse Licensure Compact legislation is my department’s top legislation priority this year.”

The legislation also aligns with the Senate’s priority—as stated by Senate President Gary Stevens in a January 28, 2025, press release—to change our approach to recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce to help our state and local economies, increase public safety, and provide opportunities for the next generation to continue to call Alaska home.

The Alaska Board of Nursing is unanimously supportive of joining the NLC. Surveys conducted with all Alaska-licensed nurses in 2019 and 2023 verify overwhelming support to join. For more information on the NLC, visit www.ProfessionalLicense.alaska.gov/BoardofNursing/NurseLicensureCompact