History

Proposition 63 History

Forty years ago, the State of California shut down many state hospitals for people with severe mental illnesses without providing adequate funding for community mental health services.  To address the urgent need for recovery-based, accessible community-based mental health services, former Assembly member Darrell Steinberg, along with mental health community partners, introduced Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). 

In 2004, California voters approved Prop 63 and the MHSA was enacted in 2005 by placing a one percent tax on incomes above $1 million.  It provided the first opportunity in many years to expand county mental health programs for all populations: children, transition-age youth, adults, older adults, families, and most especially, the un- and under-served.  It was also designed to provide a wide range of prevention, early intervention, and treatment services, including the necessary infrastructure, technology, and enhancement of the mental health workforce to support it. However, the economy took a severe downturn soon after Prop 63 passed, and instead of experiencing a growth in the continuum of services, in many cases service levels could only be sustained since Prop 63 money was often the only stable source of funds.  Prop 63 began as approximately 10% of the entire public mental health budget; it now comprises approximately 24%. 

Here’s how the fund has grown throughout the years: