block grant

noun

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

Definition of block grant

: an unrestricted grant made by the U.S. federal government to state and local governments to be used at their discretion to pay especially for social services that were formerly paid for through specific federal programs

Recent Examples of block grant from the Web

But cooperative preschools don’t receive block grant money, said Nancy Renner, incoming president of the Virginia Cooperative Preschool Council.

— debbie truong, Washington Post, "Parents fear proposed regulations could jeopardize co-op preschools in Virginia," 10 July 2018
Congress had phased out Safe Neighborhood block grants in 2012.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Despite Hyper-Aggressive Rhetoric, Trump’s MS-13 Strategy Isn’t Very Comprehensive," 3 July 2018
The Cherokee Board of Commissioners recently approved a consolidated plan and annual action plan to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with its request for $1.28 million in block grant funds.

— david ibata, ajc, "Cherokee County details programs for block grant funding," 26 June 2018
The core of the new plan is a proposal to shift hundreds of billions of dollars provided by the healthcare law to expand coverage into block grants to states.

— noam n. levey, latimes.com, "Republicans outline their latest strategy to roll back Obamacare," 19 June 2018
Ryan also argued that Medicaid, which provides health care for the disabled and the poor, should be administered by the states by sending them block grants to spend in the ways each governor decided best fit needs of its citizens.

— deirdre walsh, CNN, "Paul Ryan's impact: Big tax bill but no entitlement reforms," 12 Apr. 2018
The General Land Office plans to distribute the funds through federal block grants to counties slammed by Hurricane Harvey last summer, including $2.3 billion for Harris County and Houston.

— andrea zelinski, Houston Chronicle, "Housing watchdogs file complaint against Texas’ Harvey recovery plan," 27 June 2018
This kind of block grant concept had long been popular with conservatives.

— noam n. levey, latimes.com, "Republicans outline their latest strategy to roll back Obamacare," 19 June 2018
The money, expected to provide a multi-year bridge as replacement trees and groves mature, includes $340 million that Florida will get in the form of a block grant to help citrus farmers rebuild.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida citrus growers endure worst season in decades," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'block grant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.