§10404 Allocation and distribution of funds

Summary

The Attorney General must first give each State 0.50 percent of the money. Then the rest is split among States based on each State’s share of the population under 18 in the most recent year available. Money can only be used for programs that the Attorney General has approved. Each State must pass at least 75 percent of what it gets to local governments for the juvenile‑justice purposes listed in the law. A State can ask for a waiver if the State itself spent more than 25 percent of total juvenile‑justice spending in the prior year and it consulted local governments about the request. Local shares are set by a formula that gives 75 percent weight to a unit’s average juvenile‑justice spending over the last 3 years and 25 percent weight to its average annual Part 1 violent crimes over the last 3 years. No unit can get more than 100 percent of its juvenile‑justice spending for the payment period; any extra is redistributed. States must check reported crime and spending data and use the best comparable data if needed. If a unit’s allocation is under $10,000, the State must spend that money on services for such small units. If a State fails to apply or qualify by the deadline, the Attorney General may keep up to 75 percent of that State’s share to award grants to specially qualified local units and may use average state allocations as a guide.