FILED ON: 6/13/2012

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4173

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

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An Act to allow certain store and shops to open on holidays.

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. Section 16 of chapter 136 of the general laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “Sunday”, in line 4, the following words:- ; provided, however, that any retail store or shop that sells foods and goods labeled in English and another language which make up more than 50 per cent of the total amount of foods and goods within a shop or store may be open on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day; provided, that such shop or store: (1) receives the approval of the municipal licensing board where such store or shop is located; (2) does not violate any collective bargaining agreement and is able to comply with regulations promulgated pursuant to chapter 149 and subsection 1A of section 4 of chapter 151B of the general laws; and (3) no employee engaged in work and subject to this exemption shall be required to perform such work, and refusal to work on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day shall not be grounds for discrimination, dismissal, discharge, reduction in hours, or any other penalty.

SECTION 2. Said section 16 of said chapter 136, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “days”, in line 14, the following words:- except as otherwise provided in this section.