Bill > H439

This bill modifies Massachusetts alcohol licensing laws to allow licensed alcohol retailers (such as bars, restaurants, or package stores) to form cooperative purchasing agreements that enable them to combine their alcohol purchases to qualify for volume discounts from wholesalers. Specifically, the bill permits up to 9 licenses held by an individual, partnership, or corporation to pool their alcohol purchasing power to receive quantity discounts from licensed wholesalers. Additionally, the bill allows between three and seven license holders to enter into joint purchasing agreements, with the total number of licenses not exceeding 9, for the purpose of buying larger quantities of alcoholic beverages at a reduced price. A key requirement is that the alcoholic beverages purchased through these cooperative agreements can only be distributed among the licensees who are party to the agreement, preventing any resale or redistribution to outside parties. This legislation aims to provide small to mid-sized alcohol retailers with more purchasing flexibility and the ability to benefit from bulk purchasing discounts typically available only to larger businesses.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H439