Chapter 138 Section 12D — File 25-1317

Session Laws, Acts of 2025, Chapter 9: AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH, FOR INTEREST, SINKING FUND AND SERIAL BOND REQUIREMENTS, AND FOR CERTAIN PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is immediately to make appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and to make certain changes in law, each of which is immediately necessary or appropriate to effectuate said appropriations or for other important public purposes, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: SECTION 51. Chapter 138 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 12C the following section:- Section 12D. (a) In any city or town that accepts this section, the local licensing authority may allow any licensee that is licensed to sell only wines and malt beverages pursuant to section 12 to trade in said license and be issued a license to sell all alcoholic beverages pursuant to said section 12; provided, however, that any wine and malt beverage license that is traded in to the local licensing authority for an all alcoholic beverage license under this section shall become non-transferable upon the issuance of the license to sell all alcoholic beverages; provided further, that a license converted under this section shall be subject to all other relevant provisions of this chapter. (b) The local licensing authority of a city or town that accepts this section may charge a reasonable fee that shall not be excessive for a license for wine and malt beverage to be traded in for an all alcoholic beverages license under this section. (c) The local licensing authority of a city or town that accepts this section may establish additional requirements for a license for wine and malt beverage to be traded in for an all alcoholic beverages license under this section. (d) A license for wine and malt beverage traded in for an all alcoholic beverages license under this section shall not increase the total number of licenses authorized pursuant to section 17 or any other general or special law.