Bill > H412

This bill modifies existing Massachusetts law regarding alcoholic beverage license applications by creating a more nuanced approach to evaluating applicants with felony convictions. Currently, an applicant with a felony conviction is automatically disqualified from obtaining a Section 12 or Section 15 alcoholic beverage license. The new legislation introduces a more flexible standard that allows individuals with felony convictions older than 10 years to potentially still obtain a license. Under the proposed changes, if a felony conviction occurred more than 10 years before the license application, the applicant can present evidence of rehabilitation, and the licensing authority (either a state commission or local licensing board) must consider this evidence and evaluate whether the past conviction should prevent the issuance of the license. This approach recognizes that individuals may have transformed their lives after a criminal conviction and provides a pathway for potential licensure that was previously unavailable, while still maintaining protections by focusing on more recent criminal history and allowing a case-by-case assessment of an applicant's rehabilitation and current circumstances.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H412