42 U.S.C. § 623 (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 623. Allotments to States
(a) In general
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), the sum appropriated pursuant to section 625 of this title for each fiscal year shall be allotted by the Secretary for use by cooperating State public welfare agencies which have plans developed jointly by the State agency and the Secretary as follows: The Secretary shall first allot $70,000 to each State, and shall then allot to each State an amount which bears the same ratio to the remainder of such sum as the product of (1) the population of the State under the age of twenty-one and (2) the allotment percentage of the State (as determined under this section) bears to the sum of the corresponding products of all the States.
(2) Grants to States to enhance collaboration between State child welfare and juvenile justice systems
For each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2023 for which the amount appropriated under section 625 of this title for the fiscal year exceeds $270,000,000—
(A) the Secretary shall reserve from such excess amount such sums as are necessary for making grants under section 628c of this title for such fiscal year; and
(B) the remainder to be applied under paragraph (1) for purposes of making allotments to States for such fiscal year shall be determined after the Secretary first allots $70,000 to each State under such paragraph and reserves such sums under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(b) Determination of State allotment percentages
The “allotment percentage” for any State shall be 100 percent less the State percentage; and the State percentage shall be the percentage which bears the same ratio to 50 percent as the per capita income of such State bears to the per capita income of the United States; except that (1) the allotment percentage shall in no case be less than 30 percent or more than 70 percent, and (2) the allotment percentage shall be 70 percent in the case of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
(c) Promulgation of State allotment percentages
The allotment percentage for each State shall be promulgated by the Secretary between October 1 and November 30 of each even-numbered year, on the basis of the average per capita income of each State and of the United States for the three most recent calendar years for which satisfactory data are available from the Department of Commerce. Such promulgation shall be conclusive for each of the two fiscal years in the period beginning October 1 next succeeding such promulgation.
(d) United States defined
For purposes of this section, the term “United States” means the 50 States and the District of Columbia.
(e) Reallotment of funds
(1) In general
The amount of any allotment to a State for a fiscal year under the preceding provisions of this section which the State certifies to the Secretary will not be required for carrying out the State plan developed as provided in section 622 of this title shall be available for reallotment from time to time, on such dates as the Secretary may fix, to other States which the Secretary determines—
(A) need sums in excess of the amounts allotted to such other States under the preceding provisions of this section, in carrying out their State plans so developed; and
(B) will be able to so use such excess sums during the fiscal year.
(2) Considerations
The Secretary shall make the reallotments on the basis of the State plans so developed, after taking into consideration—
(A) the population under 21 years of age;
(B) the per capita income of each of such other States as compared with the population under 21 years of age; and
(C) the per capita income of all such other States with respect to which such a determination by the Secretary has been made.
(3) Amounts reallotted to a State deemed part of State allotment
Any amount so reallotted to a State is deemed part of the allotment of the State under this section.
(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 423, formerly § 421, as added Pub. L. 90–248, title II, § 240(c), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 912; amended Pub. L. 96–272, title I, § 103(a), June 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 516; Pub. L. 100–203, title IX, § 9135(b)(2), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–315; renumbered § 423 and amended Pub. L. 109–288, §§ 6(b)(2), (d), 11(a)(1), Sept. 28, 2006, 120 Stat. 1244, 1246, 1255; Pub. L. 112–34, title I, § 101(d), Sept. 30, 2011, 125 Stat. 371; Pub. L. 117–348, title I, § 101(b), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6215; Pub. L. 118–258, title I, §§ 103(d), 107(a)(1)(B), Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2948, 2954.)
heading: Amendment of Subsection (a)
text: Pub. L. 118–258, title I, §§ 103(d), 107(a)(1)(B), 117, 138 Stat. 2948, 2954, 2969, provided that, effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applicable to payments under this part for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, with delay permitted if either State legislation or tribal action is required to meet additional requirements, subsection (a) of this section is amended as follows:
(1) by striking “the sum appropriated pursuant to section 625 of this title for each fiscal year” and inserting “for each fiscal year, the sum appropriated pursuant to section 625 of this title remaining after applying section 628(a) of this title”; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting “, not to exceed $10,000,000” before the semicolon
See 2025 Amendment notes below.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Codification
text: Section was formerly classified to section 621 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 109–288.
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 623, act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 423, as added Pub. L. 90–248, title II, § 240(c), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 913, and amended, which related to payment to States, was renumbered section 424 of act Aug. 14, 1935, by Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(b)(2), Sept. 28, 2006, 120 Stat. 1244, and transferred to section 624 of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 118–258, § 107(a)(1)(B), substituted “for each fiscal year, the sum appropriated pursuant to section 625 of this title remaining after applying section 628(a) of this title” for “the sum appropriated pursuant to section 625 of this title for each fiscal year”.
Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 118–258, § 103(d), inserted “, not to exceed $10,000,000” before “; and”.
2023—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–348 designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted par. heading, substituted “Subject to paragraph (2), the sum appropriated” for “The sum appropriated”, and added par. (2).
2011—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–34, which directed substitution of “percent” for “per centum” wherever appearing, was not executed due to prior amendment by Pub. L. 109–288, § 11(a)(1)(A). See 2006 Amendment note below.
2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–288, § 11(a)(1)(B), substituted “The Secretary” for “He”.
Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(d)(1), inserted heading and substituted “section 625” for “section 620”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–288, § 11(a)(1)(A), which directed amendment of section by substituting “percent” for “per centum”, was executed by making the substitution wherever appearing in subsec. (b), to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(d)(2), inserted heading.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(d)(3), inserted heading.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(d)(4), inserted heading and substituted “50” for “fifty”.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–288, § 6(d)(5), added subsec. (e).
1987—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–203 substituted “Guam, and American Samoa” for “and Guam”.
1980—Pub. L. 96–272 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) to (d).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 2025 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 118–258 effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applicable to payments under this part for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, with delay permitted if either State legislation or tribal action is required to meet additional requirements, see section 117 of Pub. L. 118–258, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 2011 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 112–34 effective Oct. 1, 2011, and applicable to payments under this part and part E of this subchapter for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether implementing regulations have been promulgated, and with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 107 of Pub. L. 112–34, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 109–288 effective Oct. 1, 2006, and applicable to payments under this part and part E of this subchapter for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether implementing regulations have been promulgated, and with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 12(a), (b) of Pub. L. 109–288, set out as a note under section 621 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1987 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 100–203, title IX, § 9135(c), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–315, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 1301 and 1397b of this title] shall apply with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1988.”