ANA has been working with State Nurses Associations through it's Nationwide State Legislative Agenda to promote state legislation that would require the collection of nursing supply and demand data. Many states do not currently have the structure in place to compile and evaluate nursing workforce data. This data is vital for states to accurately assess the nursing crisis and develop comprehensive short and long range state workforce planning strategies.

In 2002, FL put in place the Florida Center for Nursing Trust Fund to support the Center for Nursing established by legislation in 2001. Legislation was enacted in GA that requires health care licensure boards to distribute survey questions to gather data related to work force supply and demographics. The Office of the Secretary of State will submit the collected data to a recognized agency to project trends and needs for the state's health care workforce. In ID, the Board of Education and the Commission on Nursing are required to undertake a strategic plan of action to address the nursing shortage and report their findings to the legislature. IN will now require the Commission on Excellence in Health Care to study and make recommendations on increasing the number of nurses. KY law establishes a Nursing Workforce Foundation that will create a consortium for the recruitment of students and the training of RNs. It also requires an annual report by five state agencies on methods to increase the number of students that graduate as RNs or LPNs. MD is now requiring the Commission on the Crisis in Nursing to identify a technology driven point of care application, increase quality of patient care, facilitate nurse career advancement, improve the work environment and convene a nursing summit. ME created the Health Care Workforce Leadership Council to address the shortage of skilled health care workers. OK created the Nursing Workforce Task Force to examine the nurse shortage and identify remedial strategies. SD will now establish a nursing workforce center under the direction of the Board of Nursing. The center w ill be funded by nurses through licensure renewal fees. WV approved legislation requires a study of health care practioner shortages and methods to resolve them.

In 2002, legislation was introduced in nine additional states - CO, HI, IA, NJ, NM , NY, RI, VA and WA that would have required the collection and analysis of data on nursing. CO would have required the board of nursing to develop a supply and demand model. Legislation in IA would have mandated the collection of data to project trends and needs for the state's health care workforce. HI and NJ legislation tried to establish an independent Center for Nursing modeled after the North Carolina Center for Nursing. NY would have authorized the Commissioner to advise on safe nurse staffing and RI would have required a hospital core staffing plan. VA legislation would have required the board of nursing to post nursing workforce information on a website. WA would have created a commission to analyze the nursing shortage and NM would have required a study on the shortage by the Dept. of Health.

Legislation enacted in 2001 in MS directs the Office of Nursing Workforce to ensure an adequate supply of nurses while legislation passed in ND and TN allows the board of nursing to address issues of supply and demand for nurses including issues of recruitment, retention and utilization of nurses. FL and TX laws establish independent Centers for Nursing to carry out goals which include the development of a strategic statewide plan for the nursing workforce in the state. The model for this legislation is based on the North Carolina Center for Nursing established in 1991. The North Carolina Center is the first state-supported agency charged with nurse workforce planning including issues of nursing supply, demand, recruitment and retention.