1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 36 FILED ON: 1/2/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 36
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act modernizing the Massachusetts alcohol laws.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 12 of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out wherever they so appear the words:- “and
3contiguous”.
4 SECTION 2. Subsection (n) of section 19B of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as so
5appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words:- “and contiguous”.
6 SECTION 3. Subsection (n) of section 19C of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as so
7appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words:- “and contiguous”.
8 SECTION 4. Subsection (o) of section 19E of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as so
9appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words:- “and contiguous”.
10 SECTION 5. Section 19H of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
11amended, in line 11, by striking the words:- “and contiguous”. 2 of 2
12 SECTION 6. Section 23 of chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting
13after the second paragraph the following paragraph:- No applicant shall be issued a license under
14this chapter unless such applicant is, with respect to their character, satisfactory to the licensing
15authorities.
16 SECTION 7. Section 67 of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
17amended, in line 7, by striking out the word “five” and inserting in place thereof the following
18words:- ten business.
19 SECTION 8. The fourth paragraph of said section 12 of said chapter 138, as so
20appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fourth sentence.
21 SECTION 9. The first paragraph of section 15 of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as
22most recently amended by chapter 219 of the acts of 2016, is hereby amended by striking out the
23sixth sentence.