Program Descriptions
Program Number
93.667
Title
Social Services Block Grant
Federal Agency
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Authorization
Social Security Act, Title XX, as amended; Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, as amended, Public Law 97-35; Jobs Training Bill, Public Law 98-8; Public Law 98-473; Medicaid and Medicare Patient and Program Act of 1987; Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, Public Law 100-203; Family Support Act of 1988, Public Law 100-485; Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, Public Law 103-66; 42 U.S.C. 1397 ET seq.
Status
Active
Objectives
To enable each State to furnish social services best suited to the needs of the individuals residing in the State. Federal block grant funds may be used to provide services directed toward one of the following five goals specified in the law: (1) To prevent, reduce, or eliminate dependency; (2) to achieve or maintain self-sufficiency; (3) to prevent neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children and adults; (4) to prevent or reduce inappropriate institutional care; and (5) to secure admission or referral for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate. In addition, special funding was provided to some states in fiscal year 1995 and 1996 for supplemental SSBG grants in support comprehensive of community revitalization projects in 104 federally designated Empowerment Zones (EZs) and Enterprise Communities (ECs). The supplemental funding is called "EZ/EC SSBG." The States, through the designated localities, may use the EZ/EC SSBG funds for activites included in each locality's strategic plan for comprehensive revitalization and directed toward goals 1,2 or 3 listed above. These funds will remain available until December 21, 2004. Information about this component of the SSBG is included below as appropriate.
Types of Assistance
Formula Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Federal funds may be used by States for the proper and efficient operation of social service programs. Except for items (1) and (4) below, for which a waiver from the Secretary may be requested, Federal funds cannot be used for the following: (1) The purchase or improvement of land, or the purchase, construction, or permanent improvement of any building or other facility; (2) the provision of cash payments for costs of subsistence or the provision of room and board (other than costs of subsistence during rehabilitation, room and board provided for a short term as an integral but subordinate part of a social service, or temporary shelter provided as a protective service); (3) the payment of wages to any individual as a social service (other than payment of wages to welfare recipients employed in the provision of child day care services); (4) the provision of medical care (other than family planning services, rehabilitation services or initial detoxification of an alcoholic or drug dependent individual) unless it is an integral but subordinate part of a social service for which grants may be used; (5) social services (except services to an alcoholic or drug dependent individual or rehabilitation services) provided in and by employees of any hospital, skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, or prison, to any individual living in such institution; (6) the provision of any educational service which the State makes generally available to its residents without cost and without regard to their income; (7) any child day care service unless such service meets applicable standards of State and local law; (8) the provision of cash payments as a service; or (9) for payment for any item or service (other than an emergency item or service) furnished by an individual or entity during the period when such individual or entity is excluded pursuant to Section 1128 or Section 1128(A) of the Social Security Act from participation in this program; or at the medical direction or on the prescription of a physician during the period when the physician is excluded based on Section 1128 or 1128(A) from participation in the program and when the person furnishing such item or service knew or had reason to know of the exclusion (after a reasonable time period after reasonable notice has been furnished to the person). A State may transfer up to 10 percent of its allotment for any fiscal year to the preventive health and health services, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health services, maternal and child health services, and low-income home energy assistance block grants.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
The 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Under Title XX, each eligible jurisdiction determines the services that will be provided and the individuals that will be eligible to receive services.
Credentials/Documentation
Prior to expenditure of funds, the State must report on the intended use of the payments the State is to receive, including information on the types of activities to be supported and the categories or characteristics of individuals to be served.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Submission of a pre-expenditure report application is required.
Award Procedure
States are awarded funds quarterly.
Deadlines
None.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Not applicable.
Appeals
See 45 CFR, Part 16, Procedures of the Departmental Appeals Board.
Renewals
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Section 2003 of Title XX of the Social Security Act specifies how the allotments for each State and jurisdiction will be determined. Each State is entitled to payments in an amount equal to its allotment for that fiscal year. There is no matching requirement. Allotments for Title XX are subject to a limitation of $2,800,000,000 (estimate). The allotment for the jurisdictions of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands shall be an amount which bears the same ratio to the amount authorized for Title XX as the fiscal year 1981 allocation bore to $2,900,000,000. The allotment for American Samoa shall be an amount which bears the same ratio to the amount allotted to the Northern Mariana Islands for that fiscal year as the population of American Samoa bears to the population of the Northern Mariana Islands. Each State's and the District of Columbia's allotment are proportional to its portion of the national population of the amount authorized for Title XX minus the amount authorized to the other jurisdictions. The statistical factors used for fund allocation are the State population and total U.S. population (ratio of population of all States and the District of Columbia to total population); source, "Current Population Reports," P- 25, Bureau of the Census.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are awarded quarterly on a fiscal year basis. The Electronic Transfer System will be used based on quarterly grant awards for monthly cash draws from Federal Reserve Banks. The funds will remain available for projects and programs in the designated localities until December 21, 2004.)
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
An annual report is required. The report shall be in such form and contain such information as the State finds necessary to provide an accurate description of such activities, to secure a complete record of the purposes for which funds were spent, and to determine the extent to which funds were spent in a manner consistent with the pre-expenditure reports required under Section 2004 of the Act. The report must include the services provided in whole or in part with block grant funds; the number of children and the number of adults receiving each service; expenditure data for both children and adults for each service; the criteria applied in determining eligibility for each service, including fees; and the method(s) by which each service was provided. States must provide DHHS with an annual report (Standard Form 269). For EZ/EC SSBG, States are also required to provide a final report at the end of the grant period. The grant period ends for EZ/EC SSBG on December 21, 2004.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised June 27, 2003)," Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations," Non-Federal entities that expend $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003) or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of this part. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003) a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in section .215(a), but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and General Accounting Office (GAO).
Records
States are required to maintain records documenting the purposes for which expenditures were made.
Financial Information
Account Identification
75-1534-0-1-506.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 07 $1,700,000,000; FY 08 $1,700,000,000; and FY 09 est $1,200,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$48,518 to $206,071,998; $29,824,563.
Program Accomplishments
In FY 07, 57 grants were awarded. In FY 08, 57 grants will be awarded. It is anticipated that same number of grants will be awarded in FY 09.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
45 CFR 96.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Local Office: Not applicable. Regional Office: Office of Community Services Regional Liaisons in the Office of the Regional Administrator. (See Appendix IV of the Catalog for Regional Offices.)
Headquarters Office
Division of State Assistance, Office of Community Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 401-4608.
Web Site Address
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/ssbg
Related Programs
93.600, Head Start
93.630, Developmental Disabilities Basic Support And Advocacy Grants
93.044, Special Programs For The Aging-Title Iii, Part B-Grants For Supportive Services And Senior Centers
93.045, Special Programs For The Aging-Title Iii, Part C-Nutrition Services
93.645, Child Welfare Services-State Grants
93.647, Social Services Research And Demonstration
93.658, Foster CARE-Title IV-E
93.669, Child Abuse And Neglect State Grants
93.671, Family Violence Prevention And Services/Grants For Battered Women's Shelters-Grants To States And Indian Tribes
Examples of Funded Projects
States and other eligible jurisdictions determine their own social services programs. Examples of funded services include child day care, protective and emergency services for children and adults, homemaker and chore services, information and referral, adoption, foster care, counseling, and transportation.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
All States, the District of Columbia, and the five other jurisdictions will receive their share of funds if they submit a pre-expenditure report that meets the requirements.
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