SENATE DOCKET, NO. 821        FILED ON: 2/8/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1077

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST)

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to enhance state anti-trust powers and enforcement.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 821        FILED ON: 2/8/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1077

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 970 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act to enhance state anti-trust powers and enforcement.

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. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the

following new chapter:

An Act to Enhance State Anti-Trust Powers and Enforcement.

1.) Sound, and honest economic, and business behavior, benefit the economy of the

Commonwealth, its businesses, organizations, and the individual consumers of Massachusetts.

Therefore, this Statute sets standards, requiring, urging, and providing for the more robust

usage, and enforcement of anti-trust powers, presently held by all of the legal authorities of

Massachusetts, including the Constitutional Officers, and the Judicial Authorities.

2.) While Federal Anti-Trust powers are important, and valuable, for various reasons, the

various authorities of The United States, from time to time, lack the resources, or have other

more important focuses, regarding various business activities, and problems. When this is true,

and even under normal circumstances, situations present themselves, in the view of state

authorities, that can, and/or should, be monitored, and acted upon by the Commonwealth.

3.) In doing so, the sound, and honest economy, and benefit to consumers of

Massachusetts, can be improved.

4.) Therefore, this legislation provides that the Attorney General of Massachusetts, make

public formal recommendations, in an annual Economic Enforcement Report, as to what

measures relating to anti-trust, need revitalization, streamlined regulation, and consumer-friendly

enforcement in terms of sound business practices in our Commonwealth.

5.) Particular attention in this Annual Report, shall be given to monitoring, and

enforcement relating to large so-called chain stores, across all fields, for their maintenance of

honest pricing, and sales promotion processes.

6.) Sound regulation of business practices, shall also be reviewed, by this Annual Report;

with particular attention to the ability of small, and medium-sized businesses, being able to

compete fairly, and honestly, in successful ways.