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Administration for Children and Families US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SSBG Social Services Block Grant

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  1. SSBG LEGISLATION AUTHORITY AND APPROPRIATIONS
 
 
  1a. LEGISLATION AUTHORITY
 
 
    On January 4, 1975, legislation was signed into law establishing title XX of the Social Security Act. Prior to title XX, Federal funding for social services was largely limited to specific categories of programs. Title XX was designed to give maximum flexibility to the States by allowing them to use Federal funds to fill the gaps in funding for needed services. In 1981, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (Public Law 97-35) amended title XX to establish the Social Services Block Grant program, under which grants are allocated to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and other eligible jurisdictions, on the basis of population. Funding for social services and for staff training for those providing social services were combined in this block grant (U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means [1998]. 1998 Green book. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office). Federal funds in this block grant are not contingent on matching funds provided by the State.
 
On November 15, 1993, the Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule implementing requirements for States to report on their use of SSBG funding and providing uniform definitions of 29 services for which SSBG funds may be expended. Under the final rule, States were given considerable discretion to determine the services to be provided and the groups eligible for services, usually low-income families and individuals. However, services funded by SSBG are to be directed at one or more of five broad goals:
 
Achieving or maintaining economic self-support to prevent, reduce, or eliminate dependency;
 
Achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency, including reduction or prevention of dependency;
 
Preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children and adults unable to protect their own interests; or preserving, rehabilitating, or reuniting families;
 
Preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing for community-based care, home-based care, or other forms of less intensive care; and
 
Securing referral or admission for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate or providing services to individuals in institutions.
 
 
Public Law 97-35 gave States the authority to transfer up to 10 percent of their annual SSBG allotment to one or any combination of the three health care block grants and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Block Grant. Reciprocally, most other block grant statutes allow States to transfer funds from other block grants to SSBG as well.
 
In 1996, Public Law 104-193 replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Program with a block grant to States called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). States were originally authorized to transfer TANF funds to either SSBG or to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). However, States were required to transfer $2 to CCDBG for every dollar transferred to SSBG, with a maximum transfer of 30 percent of the State allotment. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-33) revised this provision so that States are allowed to transfer up to 10 percent of their TANF allotment to SSBG, regardless of how much, if any, they transfer to the CCDBG. The welfare reform law stipulates that any TANF funds transferred to SSBG must be used for families with incomes no higher than 200 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program [TANF]; Final Rule. 45 CFR Part 260 et al.). 

 

 
  1b. APPROPRIATIONS
 
 
    FY 01 $1.725 billion
FY 00 $1.775 billion
FY 99 $1.909 billion
 
 
   

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rev:10/11/2000