HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 94908        FILED ON: 7/20/2010

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4908

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Ten

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An Act authorizing the granting of licenses for the sale of wines at auctions..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 138 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 14 the following section:-

Section 14A.  The local licensing authority in any city or town wherein the granting of licenses to sell all alcoholic beverages or wines and malt beverages only may grant licenses for the sale of wine at auction, not be drunk on the premises, to an applicant that is licensed as an auctioneer pursuant to chapter 100 for no less than 10 years.  Each license shall describe the premises to which it applies and shall be granted only for premises which are either the principal place of business or headquarters of the applicant and legally zoned to allow such sales or which are the premises of a licensee under section 12 or 15.  The amount of the license fee shall not exceed the minimum fee for holders of licenses under section 14.  A holder of a license for the sale of wines at auction shall be permitted to conduct such auctions on any day and at any time permitted under section 12.  Applications shall be granted by the local licensing authority according to the local procedure for granting licenses under section 14.

            A licensee who holds a license under this section may provide, without charge, on-premises sample wine tastings for prospective customers if such wines shall be available for sale at auction on said premises; provided, however, that no single serving of said wines shall exceed ¼ of an ounce; and provided further, that such licensee shall control the dispensing of said wines.