CA AB1654

Exempts construction industry employees from the Private Attorneys General Act for work performed under valid collective bargaining agreements in effect before January 1, 2025, if the agreement meets specified requirements.

Required collective bargaining agreement provisions include: prohibition of PAGA violations, grievance and binding arbitration procedures, express waiver of PAGA requirements, and authorization for arbitrators to award all available remedies except PAGA penalties to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Construction workers under qualifying agreements must receive premium overtime wages and a regular hourly rate of at least 30 percent above the state minimum wage.

Employees retain the right to pursue other civil actions, including claims under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The exemption expires on the earlier of the collective bargaining agreement's expiration date or January 1, 2028, and the statute repeals entirely on January 1, 2028.