§300x–4 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

§300x–4 Additional provisions

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XVII— - BLOCK GRANTS › Part Part B— - Block Grants Regarding Mental Health and Substance Use › Subpart subpart i— - block grants for community mental health services › § 300x–4

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The federal Secretary can only give a state a grant if the state’s plan and last year’s report were reviewed by the state mental health planning council, and the state sends the council’s recommendations and any council comments to the Secretary — even if the state did not make the suggested changes. The state must agree to keep spending on community mental health services at least at the average level it spent in the two years before the grant year. The Secretary can leave out one-time or special-purpose funds from that spending total. If a state asks, the Secretary can waive the spending rule for a year if the state had serious economic trouble in that year or the year before, and must decide on the waiver within 120 days; the waiver only applies to that fiscal year. Before giving a grant, the Secretary will check whether the state met the spending rule for the prior year. If the state did not, the Secretary will reduce that year’s grant by the amount of the shortfall. A state may instead enter a negotiated agreement approved by the Secretary to avoid a cut, but must provide the information the Secretary needs to make these decisions.

Title 42, §300x–4

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may make a grant under section 300x of this title to a State only if—

(1)the plan submitted under section 300x–1(a) of this title with respect to the grant and the report of the State under section 300x–52(a) of this title concerning the preceding fiscal year has been reviewed by the State mental health planning council under section 300x–3 of this title; and

(2)the State submits to the Secretary any recommendations received by the State from such council for modifications to the plan (without regard to whether the State has made the recommended modifications) and any comments concerning the annual report.

(b)(1)A funding agreement for a grant under section 300x of this title is that the State involved will maintain State expenditures for community mental health services at a level that is not less than the average level of such expenditures maintained by the State for the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which the State is applying for the grant.

(2)The Secretary may exclude from the aggregate State expenditures under subsection (a), funds appropriated to the principle agency for authorized activities which are of a non-recurring nature and for a specific purpose.

(3)(A)The Secretary may, upon the request of a State, waive the requirement established in paragraph (1) in whole or in part if the Secretary determines that extraordinary economic conditions in the State in the fiscal year involved or in the previous fiscal year justify the waiver 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.

(B)The Secretary shall approve or deny a request for a waiver under this paragraph not later than 120 days after the date on which the request is made.

(C)A waiver provided by the Secretary under this paragraph shall be applicable only to the fiscal year involved.

(4)(A)(i)In making a grant under section 300x of this title to a State for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall make a determination of whether, for the previous fiscal year, the State maintained material compliance with the agreement made under paragraph (1). If the Secretary determines that a State has failed to maintain such compliance, the Secretary shall reduce the amount of the allotment under section 300x of this title for the State for the fiscal year for which the grant is being made by an amount equal to the amount constituting such failure for the previous fiscal year.

(ii)A State that has failed to comply with paragraph (1) and would otherwise be subject to a reduction in the State’s allotment under section 300x of this title may, upon request by the State, in lieu of having the amount of the allotment under section 300x of this title for the State reduced for the fiscal year of the grant, agree to comply with a negotiated agreement that is approved by the Secretary and carried out in accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary. If a State fails to enter into or comply with a negotiated agreement, the Secretary may take action under this paragraph or the terms of the negotiated agreement.

(B)The Secretary may make a grant under section 300x of this title for a fiscal year only if the State involved submits to the Secretary information sufficient for the Secretary to make the determination required in subparagraph (A)(i).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Prior section 300x–4 and 300x–4a were repealed by Pub. L. 102–321, title II, § 201(2),

July 10, 1992, 106 Stat. 378. section 300x–4, act

July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XIX, § 1916, formerly § 1915, as added Aug. 13, 1981, Pub. L. 97–35, title IX, § 901, 95 Stat. 546; amended Jan. 4, 1983, Pub. L. 97–414, § 8(u), 96 Stat. 2063; renumbered § 1916 and amended Oct. 19, 1984, Pub. L. 98–509, title I, §§ 103, 106(a)–(c), (f), (g), 98 Stat. 2355, 2358, 2359; Oct. 7, 1985, Pub. L. 99–117, § 7(a), 99 Stat. 492; Nov. 14, 1986, Pub. L. 99–660, title V, § 503, 100 Stat. 3797; Nov. 18, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, title II, §§ 2027–2035, 2037(a)(2), 102 Stat. 4199–4201, 4203; Aug. 16, 1989, Pub. L. 101–93, § 2(e)–(l), (p)(1), (q)(1), 103 Stat. 606–609; Aug. 15, 1990, Pub. L. 101–374, § 4(b), 104 Stat. 459, required States to make application and describe their activities in relation to allotments for grants for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services. A prior section 1915 of act

July 1, 1944, was classified to section 300x–3 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–321. section 300x–4a, act

July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XIX, § 1916A, as added Nov. 18, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, title II, § 2036, 102 Stat. 4202; amended Aug. 16, 1989, Pub. L. 101–93, § 2(m), 103 Stat. 608, related to group homes for recovering substance abusers.

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 114–255, § 8001(d)(1), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A) and inserted heading, substituted “paragraph (1) in whole or in part if” for “paragraph (1) if” and “State in the fiscal year involved or in the previous fiscal year justify the waiver” for “State justify the waiver.”, and added subpars. (B) and (C). Subsec. (b)(4)(A). Pub. L. 114–255, § 8001(d)(2)(A), designated existing provisions as cl. (i), inserted subpar. (A) and cl. (i) headings, and added cl. (ii). Subsec. (b)(4)(B). Pub. L. 114–255, § 8001(d)(2)(B), inserted heading and substituted “subparagraph (A)(i)” for “subparagraph (A)” in text. 2000—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 106–310, § 3204(b)(1), inserted “and the report of the State under section 300x–52(a) of this title concerning the preceding fiscal year” after “to the grant”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 106–310, § 3204(b)(2), inserted “and any comments concerning the annual report” before period at end. Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 106–310, § 3204(c), added par. (2) and redesignated former pars. (2) and (3) as (3) and (4), respectively.