Bill > H289

This bill proposes to return liquor license control to cities and towns in Massachusetts. The key provisions include: 1. Allowing cities and towns to determine the number and process for issuing alcoholic beverage licenses, including seasonal licenses, within their jurisdictions, rather than being subject to statewide limits. 2. Requiring cities and towns to adopt a public plan for granting additional licenses after January 1, 2018, which must include a public hearing. 3. Mandating that the governing body of each city or town hold a public hearing on a license application within 30 days of receiving it. 4. Making new licenses non-transferable and requiring the return of canceled, revoked, or unused licenses to the licensing authority. 5. Repealing sections of existing law that set statewide limits on the number of licenses that can be issued in each municipality. The overall effect is to decentralize liquor license control and give more authority to local governments, while also imposing some new procedural requirements around the granting of additional licenses.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H289