42 U.S.C. § 300x–30: Maintenance of effort…

§300x–30 Maintenance of Effort Regarding State Expenditures

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER XVII — BLOCK GRANTS › Part B — Block Grants Regarding Mental Health and Substance Use › subpart ii — block grants for substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services › § 300x–30

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

States that get a federal grant must keep their total state spending on the covered activities at least as high as the average spending for the two years before the grant year. The Secretary can leave out one-time, specially labeled funds from that total. If a State asks, the Secretary may waive the spending rule when there are major economic problems in the State or part of it. The Secretary must approve or deny the waiver within 120 days, and any approved waiver only applies to that fiscal year. Before giving a grant, the Secretary will check if the State kept its spending promise the year before. If the State did not, the Secretary will cut the current grant by the shortfall amount. The State must give enough information for this check. Instead of a cut, a State can ask to follow a negotiated plan approved by the Secretary; if it later breaks that plan, the Secretary can enforce the cut or the plan.

Title 42, §300x–30

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

(a)In general

With respect to the principal agency of a State for carrying out authorized activities, a funding agreement for a grant under section 300x–21 of this title for the State for a fiscal year is that such agency will for such year maintain aggregate State expenditures for authorized activities 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.

(b)Exclusion of certain funds

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.

(c)Waiver

(1)In general

Upon the request of a State, the Secretary may waive all or part of the requirement established in subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that extraordinary economic conditions exist in the State, or any part of the State, to justify the waiver.

(2)Date certain for acting upon request

The Secretary shall approve or deny a request for a waiver under paragraph (1) not later than 120 days after the date on which the request is made.

(3)Applicability of waiver

Any waiver provided by the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be applicable only to the fiscal year involved.

(d)Noncompliance by State

(1)In general

In making a grant under section 300x–21 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 any agreement made under subsection (a). 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–21 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.

(2)Submission of information to Secretary

The Secretary may make a grant under section 300x–21 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 paragraph (1).

(3)Alternative

A State that has failed to comply with this section and would otherwise be subject to a reduction in the State’s allotment under section 300x–21 of this title, may, upon request by the State, in lieu of having the State’s allotment under section 300x–21 of this title reduced, 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.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1930 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 300y–9 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–280.

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 114–255, § 8002(g)(1), substituted “exist in the State, or any part of the State, to justify the waiver” for “in the State justify the waiver”. Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 114–255, § 8002(g)(2), added par. (3). 2000—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 106–310 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively.