Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004.

Existing law, the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, authorizes an aggrieved employee to bring a civil action to recover specified civil penalties that would otherwise be assessed and collected by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency on behalf of the employee and other current or former employees for the violation of certain provisions affecting employees. The act provides the employer with the right to cure certain violations before the employee may bring a civil action, as specified. For other violations, the act requires the employee to follow specified procedures before bringing an action. This bill would provide the employer with the right to cure any violation of the Labor Code covered by the act before the employee may bring a civil action. That right to cure would be provided before, and in addition to, any other specified procedures the employee is required to follow prior to bringing an action. Existing law establishes the Department of Industrial Relations within the agency and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, fostering, promoting, and developing the welfare of wage earnings. This bill would appropriate $1,400,000 to the department for deposit into the Labor and Workforce Development Fund for the purpose of establishing 9 new positions to review and investigate private attorneys general cases under the act.