The National Federation of Independent Businesses is a collection of 350,000 small and independent business owners that came together to promote and protect the right to own, operate and expand their businesses. Here is a compendium on the workers' compensation laws by state. Worker's compensation insurance requirements for employers vary from state to state. Information on what these insurance requirements are for the specific state is critical for protecting businesses, particularly small-business owners. While some states never require worker's compensation insurance, some always require it, and for others, whether it is required depends on the number of employees at the business. This list of resources provides details on the status of all 50 states.

Pro Publica is a New York-based independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. They have compiled several projects related to worker's compensation trends in the states and information on this research is available here and here.

Business Insurance Magazine is an industry publication that presents news and information for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. In the March 2015 issue, the publication included an article entitled "States consider workers compensation reform" highlighting recent workers' compensation trends in the states, which can be found here.

The following information and links provide a sampling of initiatives launched by a number of states across the country. Illinois - Debate on Worker's Comp Reform Begins in Illinois

• http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2015/05/07/367218.htm
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-madigan-workers-compensation-reform-met-0506-20150505-story.html
• http://www.wifr.com/home/headlines/House-Speaker-Calls-Vote-on-Workers-Compensation-Reform-302976531.html

• http://governor.nh.gov/media/news/2014/documents/2014-12-19-workers-compensation-report.pdf

• http://labor.ky.gov/workersclaims/Presentations/An%20Overview%20of%20Kentucky%20Workers%20Compensation%20Law.pdf

• https://www.travelers.com/claim/iw-documents/workers-compensation/Tennessee.WC.Reform.2013.pdf
• What Tennessee's reformed worker's comp system means for your business, Nashville Business Journal, March 2014
• Tennessee bill to allow employers to opt out of the state's worker's compensation program and design their own individual plans

• Worker's Compensation Rates in the State To Decrease, Business Insurance, April 2015
• Worker's Compensation Trends

• http://www.ok.gov/oid/workerscompreform.html
• http://www.willis.com/documents/publications/services/Claims_Management/RCCA_You_Should_Know_7_13.pdf
• http://newsok.com/oklahoma-supreme-court-upholds-new-workers-compensation-law/article/3915151

• http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2011/04/19/195311.htm
• http://fleeson.com/2011/09/08/kansas-legislature-makes-significant-changes-to-kansas-workers-compensation-law/
• http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/04/18/brownback-signs-kansas-workers.html

• http://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/workers-compensation/b/recent-cases-news-trends-developments/archive/2014/02/16/the-texas-blueprint-for-how-to-lower-workers-comp-costs.aspx