42 USC § 9901
Purposes and goals
July 4, 2020
USC

The purposes of this chapter are—

(1) to provide assistance to States and local communities, working through a network of community action agencies and other neighborhood-based organizations, for the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low-income communities, and the empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient (particularly families who are attempting to transition off a State program carried out under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)); and

(2) to accomplish the goals described in paragraph (1) through—

(A) the strengthening of community capabilities for planning and coordinating the use of a broad range of Federal, State, local, and other assistance (including private resources) related to the elimination of poverty, so that this assistance can be used in a manner responsive to local needs and conditions;

(B) the organization of a range of services related to the needs of low-income families and individuals, so that these services may have a measurable and potentially major impact on the causes of poverty in the community and may help the families and individuals to achieve self-sufficiency;

(C) the greater use of innovative and effective community-based approaches to attacking the causes and effects of poverty and of community breakdown;

(D) the maximum participation of residents of the low-income communities and members of the groups served by programs assisted through the block grants made under this chapter to empower such residents and members to respond to the unique problems and needs within their communities; and

(E) the broadening of the resource base of programs directed to the elimination of poverty so as to secure a more active role in the provision of services for—

(i) private, religious, charitable, and neighborhood-based organizations; and

(ii) individual citizens, and business, labor, and professional groups, who are able to influence the quantity and quality of opportunities and services for the poor.

References in Text

The Social Security Act, referred to in par. (1), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620, as amended. Part A of title IV of the Act is classified generally to part A (§601 et seq.) of subchapter IV of chapter 7 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of this title and Tables.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 9901, Pub. L. 97–35, title VI, §672, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 511; Pub. L. 98–558, title II, §201, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2884; Pub. L. 99–425, title IV, §401, Sept. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 968; Pub. L. 101–501, title IV, §401(a), Nov. 3, 1990, 104 Stat. 1251; Pub. L. 103–252, title II, §202(a), May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 651, authorized the Secretary to make community service grants, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 105–285.

Short Title of 1994 Amendment

Pub. L. 103–252, title II, §201(a), May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 651, provided that: "This title [enacting section 9910c of this title, amending this section and sections 9903, 9904, 9910, 9910a, 9910b, 9911, 9912, and 11464 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the 'Community Services Block Grant Amendments of 1994'."

Short Title

Pub. L. 97–35, title VI, §671, as added by Pub. L. 105–285, title II, §201, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2728, provided that: "This subtitle [subtitle B (§§671–683) of title VI of Pub. L. 97–35, enacting this chapter] may be cited as the 'Community Services Block Grant Act'."

A prior section 671 of Pub. L. 97–35 provided that subtitle B (§§671–683) of title VI of Pub. L. 97–35, which enacted prior chapter and repealed sections 2701, 2706, 2711 to 2716, 2771, 2781, 2790, 2791, 2795 to 2797, 2808 to 2815, 2823 to 2825, 2827, 2828, 2830, 2833 to 2837, 2841, 2851 to 2856, 2881, 2901 to 2906, 2921 to 2923, 2928 to 2928g, 2928h to 2928n, 2929 to 2929c, 2930 to 2930f, 2931 to 2933, 2941 to 2948, 2950, 2951, 2961 to 2970, 2971a to 2971g, 2972 to 2980, 2981 to 2981c, 2982 to 2982c, 2983 to 2983b, 2984, 2984a, 2985 to 2985c, 2985d to 2985g, and 2995 to 2995c of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 2701 of this title, could be cited as the "Community Services Block Grant Act", prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 105–285.


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