State Priorities and Needs: The Role of Block Grants

Block grant funds are used frequently in public and population health to provide flexible resources from federal agencies to states. This study looks at state-level funding allocations for 5 federal block grant programs from 2015-2019, and associations with state-level measures of need that align with the purposes of each block grant program. Researchers found that block grant allocations vary across program, states, and time. In addition, state allocations are based on historic funding formulas, many of which are no longer reflective of state-level needs.