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42 USC § 709 - Administration of Federal and State programs

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s709"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 709 - Administration of Federal and State programs"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "709"
section_name: "Administration of Federal and State programs"
chapter_number: 7
chapter_name: "SOCIAL SECURITY"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK GRANT"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title V, § 509, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title XXI, § 2192(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 825; amended Pub. L. 99–272, title IX, § 9527(e), Apr. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 219; Pub. L. 101–239, title VI, §§ 6503(c)(4), 6505, Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2278, 2281.)"
---

# § 709. Administration of Federal and State programs

**(a)** The Secretary shall designate an identifiable administrative unit with expertise in maternal and child health within the Department of Health and Human Services, which unit shall be responsible for—

**(1)** the Federal program described in section 702(a) of this title;

**(2)** promoting coordination at the Federal level of the activities authorized under this subchapter and under subchapter XIX of this chapter, especially early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment, related activities funded by the Departments of Agriculture and Education, and under health block grants and categorical health programs, such as immunizations, administered by the Secretary;

**(3)** disseminating information to the States in such areas as preventive health services and advances in the care and treatment of mothers and children;

**(4)** providing technical assistance, upon request, to the States in such areas as program planning, establishment of goals and objectives, standards of care, and evaluation and in developing consistent and accurate data collection mechanisms in order to report the information required under section 706(a)(2) of this title;

**(5)** in cooperation with the National Center for Health Statistics and in a manner that avoids duplication of data collection, collection, maintenance, and dissemination of information relating to the health status and health service needs of mothers and children in the United States;

**1** assisting in the preparation of reports to the Congress on the activities funded and accomplishments achieved under this subchapter from the information required to be reported by the States under sections 705(a) and 706 of this title; and [^1]

So in original. The word “and” probably should not appear.

**(7)** assisting States in the development of care coordination services (as defined in section 701(b)(3) of this title); and

**(8)** developing and making available to the State agency (or agencies) administering the State’s program under this subchapter a national directory listing by State the toll-free numbers described in section 705(a)(5)(E) of this title.

**2** The State health agency of each State shall be responsible for the administration (or supervision of the administration) of programs carried out with allotments made to the State under this subchapter, except that, in the case of a State which on July 1, 1967, provided for administration (or supervision thereof) of the State plan under this subchapter (as in effect on such date) by a State agency other than the State health agency, that State shall be considered to comply [^2] the requirement of this subsection if it would otherwise comply but for the fact that such other State agency administers (or supervises the administration of) any such program providing services for children with special health care needs.

So in original. Probably should be “comply with”.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title V, § 509, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title XXI, § 2192(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 825; amended Pub. L. 99–272, title IX, § 9527(e), Apr. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 219; Pub. L. 101–239, title VI, §§ 6503(c)(4), 6505, Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2278, 2281.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 709, , as added , , ; amended , , ; , , §§ 221(c)(3), 233(e), , 1412; , , , related to special project grants for health of school and preschool children, prior to the general revision of this subchapter by . For effective date, savings, and transitional provisions, see , set out as a note under .

Provisions similar to those comprising former section 709, were contained in section 532 of , as added , ,  (formerly classified to ), prior to the general amendment and renumbering of title V of act , by .

### Amendments

1989—Subsec. (a)(4). , inserted before semicolon at end “and in developing consistent and accurate data collection mechanisms in order to report the information required under ”.

Subsec. (a)(6). , substituted “705(a)” for “705”.

Subsec. (a)(7), (8). –(4), added pars. (7) and (8).

1986—Subsec. (b).  substituted “children with special health care needs” for “crippled children”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Amendment by  applicable to payments for allotments for fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 1991, and amendment by  applicable to appropriations for fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 1990, see section 6510(a), (b)(1) of , set out as a note under .

### Report to Congress; Evaluation of Program

, , , authorized Secretary to submit to President for transmission to Congress before , a full report of administration of provisions of , which was covered by former sections 701, 702(1)(B), and 709 of this title, together with an evaluation of program established thereby and his recommendations as to continuation of and modifications in that program.