SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1424        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1034

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. 1424        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1034

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1077 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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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.