Consumer remedies: attorney's fees and litigation costs.

Existing law, the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, authorizes a consumer who suffers damage from the use of unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts, as defined, to bring an action to recover damages or other relief. Existing law requires a court to award court costs and attorney's fees to the prevailing plaintiff in litigation filed pursuant to those provisions. Existing law also permits a court to award reasonable attorney's fees to a prevailing defendant only if the court finds that the plaintiff's prosecution of the action was not in good faith. This bill, in litigation pertaining to the California Environmental Quality Act that is filed pursuant to the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, would require the court to award court costs and attorney's fees to the prevailing party in the action.