New legislation that would expand the authority of local public attorneys to enforce California’s Labor Code passed its first policy committee review Wednesday, setting up a legislative skirmish pitting organized labor and allied plaintiffs attorneys against business interests and defense counsel.

Assembly Bill 594 would authorize city attorneys, district attorneys and county counsel to sue employers for workplace violations, an area of law that now largely falls under the jurisdiction of the state labor commissioner. Under the bill, sponsored by the California Labor Federation, such suits could not be blocked by employment agreements requiring arbitration of representative claims.