Issue Brief 19-28
October 18, 2019
Summary 

The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is one of the programs subject to mandatory sequestration under the Budget Control Act (BCA). Since the BCA’s enactment in 2011, Congress has provided relief from sequestration for discretionary programs. However, on the mandatory side, Congress has extended sequestration multiple times—currently through fiscal year (FY) 2029—to help offset additional discretionary spending. In FY 2020, SSBG is subject to a 5.9% reduction. This brief estimates FY 2020 SSBG allocations and provides other program updates.