The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 created a fixed level of block grant funding to states to pay for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Since the size of the block grant itself does not vary in response to changing economic circumstances (such as a downturn) that might create greater caseloads, the 1996 legislation also established a contingency fund of $2 billion to provide states with an additional source of revenue in case of unforeseen developments.