Massachusetts 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1158 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/27/2025

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1286       FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1158
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST)
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to enhance state anti-trust powers and enforcement.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Vincent Dixon60 Lake St Apt N Winchester MA 01890 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1286       FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1158
By Mr. Lewis (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1158) of Vincent Dixon, 
for legislation to enhance state anti-trust powers and enforcement.  The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1034 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to enhance state anti-trust powers and enforcement.
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. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the 
2following new chapter:
3 An Act to Enhance State Anti-Trust Powers and Enforcement.
4 1.) Sound, and honest economic, and business behavior, benefit the economy of the 
5Commonwealth, its businesses, organizations, and the individual consumers of Massachusetts. 
6Therefore, this Statute sets standards, requiring, urging, and providing for the more robust usage, 
7and enforcement of anti-trust powers, presently held by all of the legal authorities of 
8Massachusetts, including the Constitutional Officers, and the Judicial Authorities. 
9 2.) While Federal Anti-Trust powers are important, and valuable, for various reasons, the 
10various authorities of The United States, from time to time, lack the resources, or have other  2 of 2
11more important focuses, regarding various business activities, and problems. When this is true, 
12and even under normal circumstances, situations present themselves, in the view of state 
13authorities, that can, and/or should, be monitored, and acted upon by the Commonwealth. 
14 3.) In doing so, the sound, and honest economy, and benefit to consumers of 
15Massachusetts, can be improved.
16 4.) Therefore, this legislation provides that the Attorney General of Massachusetts, make 
17public formal recommendations, in an annual Economic Enforcement Report, as to what 
18measures relating to anti-trust, need revitalization, streamlined regulation, and consumer-friendly 
19enforcement in terms of sound business practices in our Commonwealth. 
20 5.) Particular attention in this Annual Report, shall be given to monitoring, and 
21enforcement relating to large so-called chain stores, across all fields, for their maintenance of 
22honest pricing, and sales promotion processes.
23 6.) Sound regulation of business practices, shall also be reviewed, by this Annual Report; 
24with particular attention to the ability of small, and medium-sized businesses, being able to 
25compete fairly, and honestly, in successful ways.