Bill > H253

This bill: Authorizes local licensing authorities to grant a new class of "food store licenses" for the sale of wines and malt beverages not to be consumed on the premises. To qualify, the food store must be a permanent non-mobile establishment that regularly sells various types of perishable and non-perishable foods, and it must dedicate no more than 35% of its total interior selling area to the display of wines and malt beverages. The bill sets standards for the operation of these food store licenses, including hours of sale, container size restrictions, and requirements for age verification and employee training policies. The bill also establishes a process for food store license applications, fees, and the total number of food store licenses that may be issued in each city or town. It creates a small business support grant program, funded by fees from the new licenses, to assist proximate competing package stores that may be negatively impacted by the introduction of food store licenses. Additionally, the bill makes various other changes related to the purchasing and storage of alcoholic beverages by licensees and requires the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to maintain a minimum investigator-to-licensee ratio.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H253