---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 669b"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "669b"
heading: "Grants to States for access and visitation programs"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/669b"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Social Security"
  - "Subchapter IV — Grants to States for Aid and Services to Needy Families with Children and for Child-Welfare Services"
  - "Part D — Child Support and Establishment of Paternity"
---

# §669b. Grants to States for access and visitation programs

- (a) **In general—** The [Administration](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-10) for [Children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2) and [Families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11) shall make [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) under this section to enable [States](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) to establish and administer [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to support and facilitate noncustodial [parents](/usc/42/675.md?p=2)’ access to and visitation of their [children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2), by means of activities [including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) mediation (both voluntary and mandatory), counseling, education, development of parenting plans, visitation enforcement ([including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) monitoring, supervision and neutral drop-off and pickup), and development of guidelines for visitation and alternative custody arrangements.
- (b) **Amount of grant—** The amount of the [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) to be made to a [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) under this section for a fiscal year shall be an amount equal to the lesser of—
  - (1) 90 percent of [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) expenditures during the fiscal year for activities described in [subsection (a)](#a); or
  - (2) the allotment of the [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) under [subsection (c)](#c) for the fiscal year.
- (c) **Allotments to States—**
  - (1) **In general—** The allotment of a [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) for a fiscal year is the amount that bears the same ratio to $10,000,000 for [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) under this section for the fiscal year as the number of [children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2) in the [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) living with only 1 biological [parent](/usc/42/1396a.md?p=k-3) bears to the total number of such [children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2) in all [States](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6).
  - (2) **Minimum allotment—** The [Administration](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-10) for [Children](/usc/42/256e.md?p=g-2) and [Families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11) shall adjust allotments to [States](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) as necessary to ensure that no [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) is allotted less than—
    - (A) $50,000 for fiscal year 1997 or 1998; or
    - (B) $100,000 for any succeeding fiscal year.
- (d) **No supplantation of State expenditures for similar activities—** A [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) to which a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) is made under this section may not use the [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) to supplant expenditures by the [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) for activities specified in [subsection (a)](#a), but shall use the [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) to supplement such expenditures at a level at least equal to the level of such expenditures for fiscal year 1995.
- (e) **State administration—** Each [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) to which a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) is made under this section—
  - (1) may administer [State](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=6) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) funded with the [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10), directly or through [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) to or contracts with courts, local [public agencies](/usc/42/11851.md?p=8), or nonprofit [private entities](/usc/42/12181.md?p=6);
  - (2) shall not be required to operate such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) on a statewide basis; and
  - (3) shall monitor, evaluate, and report on such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) in accordance with regulations prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6).

## Source credit

(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 469B, as added Pub. L. 104–193, title III, § 391, Aug. 22, 1996, 110 Stat. 2258.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

For effective date of section, see section 395(a)–(c) of Pub. L. 104–193, set out as an Effective Date of 1996 Amendment note under section 654 of this title.