SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding clause (h) of paragraph (5) of section 11 of chapter 498 of the acts of 1993, chapter 75 of the acts of 2003, chapter 146 of the acts of 2009, or any other general or special law to the contrary, the Devens Enterprise Commission may grant an additional license for the sale of wines and malt beverages not to be drunk on the premises to an establishment within the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone. A license granted under this section shall not decrease the number of such licenses authorized to be granted by the towns of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley.

(b) The commission shall not approve the transfer of the license granted under this act to any location outside the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone but it may grant a license to a new applicant within the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone if the applicant files with the licensing authority a letter from the department of revenue and a letter from the department of unemployment assistance indicating that the license is in good standing with those departments and that all applicable taxes, fees and contributions have been paid.

(c) The license granted pursuant to this act shall not be sold or transferred by the licensee. If a licensee terminates or fails to renew a license granted under this act or any such license is cancelled, revoked or no longer in use, it shall be returned physically, with all of the legal rights, privileges and restrictions pertaining thereto, to the commission, which may then grant the license to a new applicant as specified in this act.

(d) The license granted under this act shall be issued within 1 year after the effective date of this act; provided, however, that a license originally granted within that time period may be granted to a new applicant under subsections (b) or (c) any time thereafter.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.