Requires the department, in collaboration with the work force training and education coordinating board, to distribute survey questions for the purpose of gathering data related to work force supply and demographics to all health care providers who are credentialed by a disciplining authority under RCW 18.130.040. The department must adopt a schedule for distributing surveys by profession so that each profession is surveyed every two years. In developing the survey, the department may seek advice from researchers that are likely to use the survey data.

Requires the department to process the surveys that it receives in such a way that the identity of individual providers remains confidential. Data elements related to the identification of individual providers are confidential and are exempt from RCW 42.56.040 through 42.56.570 and 42.17.350 through 42.17.450, except as provided in a data-sharing agreement approved by the department pursuant to this act.

Provides that, by July 1, 2009, the department shall provide a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the effectiveness of using a survey to obtain information on the supply of health care professionals, the distribution and use of the information obtained by the surveys by employers and health professions education and training programs and the extent to which the surveys have alleviated identified shortages of trained health care providers.