Originally proposed in December of 1997 by NCSBN, the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact received its first endorsement in 1998 when UT was the first state to enter the compact.  Under the compact, nurses licensed in their state of residence may practice in any other state that has mutually agreed to the terms of the compact, without having to obtain another license.

By 1999, 5 more states, AR, MD, NC, TX and WI entered into the compact despite constitutional questions raised by CA and concerns raised by Attorneys General in at least 2 states.

For the start of the new century, 9 bills have been introduced in 7 states.  This year 4 new states have officially joined the compact through legislative approval.  They are: IA, MS, NE and SD.  Similar legislation died in ID as did a carryover bill in WI. Nurse licensure compact legislation is still pending in DE.