Research Library

Cost Savings

Building The Force: An Analysis of Florida’s Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program (LEAP)

Cost Savings, Public Safety, Research, Workforce Development
/ Cost Savings, Public Safety, Research, Workforce Development / 1 minute of reading

Florida’s Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program (LEAP) is helping address persistent officer shortages, particularly in rural and fiscally constrained communities where recruiting and retaining qualified personnel remains a challenge. Traditional pathways into law enforcement often require candidates to pay for training upfront while forgoing income, creating barriers that limit access to the profession.

OH, SNAP! Federal Policy Changes Threaten the Stability of Florida’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Federal Government, Health Care, Research
/ Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Federal Government, Health Care, Research / 5 minutes of reading

Administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides funds to help low-income households afford low-cost, nutritious meals. In July 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (the OBBB Act), tightening SNAP policies that determine eligibility, benefits, and program administration. Florida TaxWatch undertakes this independent research project to better understand how the upcoming changes in SNAP requirements will impact Florida’s budget and its ability to provide much needed food assistance to needy Floridians.

Interdisciplinary Pain Management As a Means to Help Address Solvency of the State Employees’ Health Insurance Trust Fund

Cost Savings, Health Care, Insurance, Research
/ Cost Savings, Health Care, Insurance, Research / 2 minutes of reading

Interdisciplinary Pain Management as a Means to Help Address Solvency of the State Employees’ Health Insurance Trust Fund examines how treating chronic pain through integrated, team-based care can both improve outcomes for State Group Insurance Program (SGIP) members and lower overall claims paid by Florida’s State Employees’ Health Insurance Trust Fund. With the Trust Fund projected to face a nearly $1.7 billion shortfall by FY 2029-30 without action, Florida TaxWatch outlines a pragmatic path that reduces costs by treating pain more effectively—not just shifting them to employees.

Government Efficiency Should Not Be Something We Do Every Four Years

Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Local Government, Research
/ Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Local Government, Research / 3 minutes of reading

Florida has proven ideas, demonstrated wins, and active tools; now it needs permanence. By embedding efficiency into the annual budget cycle—backed by transparent tracking and regular reporting—the state can convert sporadic initiatives into sustained savings and better service delivery for taxpayers.

Hospice and Palliative Care

Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Economic Development, Health Care, Research, Retirement, Workforce Development
/ Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Economic Development, Health Care, Research, Retirement, Workforce Development / 2 minutes of reading

Florida’s aging population is driving sustained demand for cost-effective, patient-centered care across the continuum. Palliative care—non-curative, interdisciplinary support for patients with serious but often nonterminal conditions—improves quality of life and can lower overall costs when introduced early in the disease course. Hospice provides end-of-life care once a clinician certifies a terminal prognosis; in Florida, hospice providers operate under a Certificate of Need (CON) program that authorizes new entrants only when unmet need is demonstrated through twice-yearly batching cycles.

Enhancing Lives, Ensuring Accountability: The Value of Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities

Cost Savings, Health Care, Research
/ Cost Savings, Health Care, Research / 1 minute of reading

Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities (BHMEs) are at the heart of an innovative, community-based network delivering critical mental health and substance use services across the state. This report’s summary reveals how BHMEs efficiently coordinate a vast network of providers with minimal overhead—ensuring accessible, continuous care for vulnerable populations—while highlighting the risk that stagnant operational funding poses to their long-term sustainability. It ultimately recommends boosting operational funding from 3% to 5% to maintain the system’s effectiveness and guide future policy decisions.

Solvency of the State Employees’ Health Insurance Trust Fund

Cost Savings, Economic Development, Health Care, Research
/ Cost Savings, Economic Development, Health Care, Research / 2 minutes of reading

Florida TaxWatch’s latest report examines the financial solvency of the State Employees’ Health Insurance Trust Fund, which faces rising costs and potential deficits in the coming years. Despite a projected $652.7 million cash balance for FY 2024-25, increasing healthcare expenses could lead to a $1.5 billion deficit by FY 2028-29. The report recommends increasing employee contributions to align with those of other large employers, potentially saving the state $446 million annually. Proactive policy changes are urged to ensure the fund’s sustainability amid future budget challenges.

Teaching Every Child to Swim Saves Thousands of Lives from Needless Drownings and Taxpayers Millions

Cost Savings, Education, Energy & Environment, Every Child a Swimmer, Research
/ Cost Savings, Education, Energy & Environment, Every Child a Swimmer, Research / 1 minute of reading

This Florida TaxWatch report highlights drowning as a leading cause of death for children in the U.S., particularly in Florida. It stresses the importance of teaching children water safety, noting that swimming lessons can reduce drowning risk by 88%. Despite recent legislative efforts, more actions are needed, such as offering drowning prevention videos to new parents in hospitals and increasing safety measures for at-risk children, including those with autism. The report calls for continued policy efforts to prevent drowning-related tragedies and save lives.

An Analysis of the Tax Treatment of Credit Unions: Value of Florida Credit Unions’ Exemption Is Now $259 Million

Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Economic Development, Local Government, Research, Taxes
/ Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Economic Development, Local Government, Research, Taxes / 2 minutes of reading

Originally designed to serve specific community segments, credit unions have since expanded their reach and service offerings, making their tax exemptions increasingly valuable. From 1997’s exemption value of $89.1 million, the exemption’s worth has risen to $259 million in 2023. This report sheds light on the industry’s transformations, recent trends like mergers and acquisitions, and reevaluates the rationale behind the tax exemptions. It aims to fuel informed discussions on credit union taxation and their exemption status.

An Update on Student Loan Forgiveness

Cost Savings, Economic Development, Education, Research
/ Cost Savings, Economic Development, Education, Research / 2 minutes of reading

Over the past few years, with college tuition growing much faster than income after graduation, the mountain of pending student loan debt is growing. This affects the younger generation’s spending capacity, risk-taking willingness, and retirement savings. Recent debates focus on whether student loan debt should be forgiven, how much should be forgiven, the method of forgiveness, and the impact it would have on the future spending of taxpayers.

Statement by Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro on Gov. DeSantis Signing Tax Relief Package, Upcoming Sales Tax Holidays

Cost Savings, Releases, Taxes
/ Cost Savings, Releases, Taxes / 3 minutes of reading

Tallahassee, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signage of HB 7063: Taxation, the state’s tax relief package, and the two upcoming sales tax holidays that will now be implemented on Sat., May 27 (Disaster Preparedness) and Mon., May 29 (Freedom Summer). To learn more and/or schedule an interview with President and CEO Calabro, please contact Aly Coleman Raschid at aly@on3pr.com or 850.391.5040.

Commentary: An Inappropriate Cost of Doing Business: Paying the Interchange Fee on Sales Tax for Credit Card Purchases

Cost Savings, Research
/ Cost Savings, Research / 3 minutes of reading

Credit cards provide a convenience for consumers and merchants when shopping, both in-person or online. This convenience comes at a cost for merchants since credit card companies charge them an interchange fee (or “swipe fee”) on each credit card purchase. Throughout the last decade, credit card utilization and popularity have increased drastically for a brick-and-mortar businesses and e-commerce businesses. 

A Closer Look at Florida’s Sales Tax Exemptions

Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Research, Taxes
/ Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Research, Taxes / 2 minutes of reading

The six percent sales and use tax is Florida state government’s largest revenue sourceby far, currently bringing in approximately $36 billion annually. When the almost $6 billion in local option sales tax collections is included with the state tax, the $42 billion total collections make the sales tax the number one tax source for all Florida governments, topping the $40 billion local property tax.

Using Public-Private Partnerships and Public-Public Partnerships to Meet the Growing Demands for Public Infrastructure

Cost Savings, Economic Development, Local Government, Research, Transportation
/ Cost Savings, Economic Development, Local Government, Research, Transportation / 5 minutes of reading

The gap between Florida’s infrastructure needs and what Florida currently has is nearly $2.59 trillion over ten years. By year 2039, a continued underinvestment in Florida’s infrastructure at current rates will have serious economic consequences — $10 trillion in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more than 3 million lost jobs, and $2.4 trillion in lost exports. Two creative solutions are public-private partnerships (PPPs) and public-public partnerships (PUPs). Why then, are there not more PPPs and PUPs? 

Tax Free Turkey?

Cost Savings, Research
/ Cost Savings, Research / 2 minutes of reading

As Thanksgiving nears and we think about the many blessings we have to be thankful for, here’s another one to add to the list: groceries are exempt from the Florida sales tax.

After COVID-19: Rethinking how the state delivers services to Floridians in need

Cost Savings, COVID Recovery, Research
/ Cost Savings, COVID Recovery, Research / 6 minutes of reading

Application surges during the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the shortcomings of the current state-administered, federal safety net programs, especially the Reemployment Assistance (Unemployment Insurance) program. This report explores Florida’s opportunity to implement more efficient and cost-effective business processes, thus reducing the size of government, saving the taxpayers money, and improving service delivery to Floridians in need.

Bringing Florida’s Budget Back From COVID-19

Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Research
/ Budget/Approps, Cost Savings, Research / 5 minutes of reading

As the nation recovers from one of the worst economic recessions in history, Florida continues to battle unprecedented fiscal challenges and budget shortfalls that have made business-as-usual in state government unsustainable. In response to this crisis, this report presents immediately actionable ideas in the event that a significant budget deficit occurs in FY2020-21.

Keeping Workers’ Compensation Premiums Low Through Independent Medical Review

Cost Savings, Economic Development, Health Care, Insurance, Research
/ Cost Savings, Economic Development, Health Care, Insurance, Research / 4 minutes of reading

In this research report, TaxWatch looks at the success of the IMR program in California in an attempt to answer the question “what if IMR was in use in Florida?” TaxWatch is pleased to present policymakers and stakeholders with an independent analysis of a program we think may be helpful in keeping the costs of workers’ compensation insurance down while helping to ensure that injured workers receive appropriate treatment.

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