Title XX of the Social Security Act, also referred to as the Social Services Block Grant, is a capped $2.8 billion entitlement program. Block grant funds are given to States to help them achieve a wide range of social policy goals. Funds are allocated to the States on the basis of population. The allotments for Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas from the national total are based on their allocation for fiscal year 1981 adjusted to reflect the new total funding level. OBRA 1987 (Public Law 100-203) extended eligibility for title XX funds to American Samoa. The Federal funds are available to States without a State matching requirement.
Table 11-1 shows the title XX funding levels, in both nominal and real 1996 dollars, from fiscal years 1977 through 1996 and future years. Over the 19-year period (1977-96), title XX funding has declined in real terms by $4,001 million, a reduction of 59 percent. Table 11-2 shows the total funds available to each State and territory under title XX in selected fiscal years from 1989 through 1996.