When a problem crosses state lines, the solution often begins with an agreement — a compact. The U.S. Constitution empow­ers states to form agreements, or “interstate compacts,” with one another to address challenges that extend beyond a single state’s borders. For more than two decades, the National Center for Interstate Compacts (NCIC) at The Council of State Governments has helped states design and implement those compacts, giving leaders a constitutionally authorized way to act together instead of relying on a unilateral federal solution.

Historically, these compacts settled boundary disputes or managed shared waterways. Today, compacts tackle an array of complex issues. From professional licensing and public safety to infrastructure and natural-resource management, they allow states to coordinate responses, share data and expertise, and deliver better outcomes for the people they serve. Through NCIC, that cooperation has grown into one of the most significant examples of state-driven innovation in American government.

Unlike federally directed programs, compacts are state-crafted and state-governed. Each member state enacts the same statutory language, ensuring uniform standards while preserving flexibility in implementation. This makes compacts both durable and adaptable, creating a living framework that can evolve over time as policy needs change.

For states, the benefits are tangible. Compacts create econ­omies of scale, reduce duplication, and allow members to speak with a unified voice on shared challenges. They put into practice the founding principle of federalism, that states are laboratories of democracy best equipped to lead in their own policy arenas.

“States can see the difference these compacts make, from a teacher able to start work right away to a military spouse who doesn’t have to reapply for a license,” NCIC Director Dan Logsdon said. “States have always led the way in solving prob­lems, but NCIC helps give them the tools and partnerships to do it faster and better.”

The role of the National Center for Interstate Compacts

Established in 2004, NCIC is the nation’s only dedicated tech­nical-assistance center for interstate compacts. It functions as an information clearinghouse, legal and policy consultant, and development partner to state governments and compact commissions.

Its mission is to help states:

• Design and draft new compacts in response to emerging issues.

• Modernize existing compacts to meet current legal and operational standards.

• Provide education, training and research to state legislators, agency leaders and compact administrators.

• Track, analyze and catalog active compacts through the NCIC online database.

Today, every state belongs to dozens of compacts — an average of 43 per state — representing more than 2,200 individual legislative enactments. Through NCIC’s technical expertise, many of those compacts have evolved from concept to imple­mentation with bipartisan support and data informed policy.

One category of interstate compacts that states are quickly implementing is occupational licensure mobility. These compacts streamline professional credentialing, allowing licensed workers like nurses, teachers, social workers, therapists and others to move across member states without restarting the licensing process each time. Since 2015, states have enacted over 400 separate pieces of licensure compact legislation.

“Interstate compacts are vital to keeping Washington’s work­force and communities strong,” said Washington Rep. Mari Leavitt. “They help skilled professionals continue their careers when they move between states — especially for military spouses — reducing red tape in added financial expenses of fees and additional licensing requirements and addressing critical workforce shortages in various industries.”

This approach has proven especially valuable in fields facing workforce shortages and high mobility demands. In 2020, the U.S. Department of War entered into a cooperative agreement with CSG to create new licensure compacts. While these compacts are for the professions at large, the impetus was to particularly help military personnel and their spouses maintain their careers despite frequent relocations that can otherwise delay relicensing for months.

“This adaptation allows for faster deployment of essential workers, greater access to care and services, and reduced administrative costs for state agencies,” Logsdon said.

Through this partnership, 10 occupational licensure compacts have been enacted covering teachers, dentists and dental hygienists, dietitians, cosmetologists, massage therapists, school psychologists, social workers, estheticians, athletic trainers and respiratory therapists.

“Interstate compacts are built upon a foundation of patient protection; it establishes a unified, coordinated database and reporting system across all member states, ensuring that any adverse action taken against a provider is immediately visible and applicable across the compact, contributing to high safety standards,” said Wisconsin Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara.

Expanding the Compact Footprint

To help states manage that growing network of collab­oration, NCIC partnered with the nonprofit U.S. Digital Response and the software vendor InspiringApps to develop CompactConnect, a shared, open-source data system designed to modernize how states cooperate and administer interstate licensing compacts.

CompactConnect provides a secure and research-based plat­form where state licensing boards can exchange data, verify credentials, and track participation across member states to implement the compact. By creating an open-source system, the platform reduces the cost and complexity of launching new licensure compacts, saving an estimated $1.1 million per compact compared to building individual data systems.

Beyond its technical and cost efficiencies, CompactConnect strengthens public protection through better data sharing, improves access to care by reducing administrative barriers, and accelerates the timeline for new compacts to become fully operational. It also gives state partners technical capacity and insight to guide future compact projects more effectively.

CompactConnect is a model for how technology can reinforce cooperative federalism, helping states not only connect, but also govern more efficiently, securely and sustainably across state lines.

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