FILED ON: 6/4/2026

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5478

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act authorizing municipalities to opt-in to a temporary pilot to extend the hours of liquor licenses and to allow for public consumption in designated districts in summer 2026.

 Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to authorize forthwith municipalities to opt-in to a temporary pilot to extend the hours of liquor licenses and to allow for public consumption in designated districts, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

 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. For purposes of this act, “licensed establishment” shall mean an establishment holding a license for the sale of alcoholic beverages, whether all alcohol or wines and malt only, to be drunk on the premises pursuant to section 12 of chapter 138 of the General Laws.

 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, and subject to section 5, a local licensing authority in a city or town may, on a temporary basis not to begin prior to June 8, 2026, allow a licensed establishment to sell alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption in districts designated pursuant to section 4. Only licensed establishments located within a district designated pursuant to said section 4 may sell alcoholic beverages to be consumed within the district.

 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, and subject to section 5, a licensed establishment may, subject to approval of the local licensing authority, sell alcoholic beverages on-premises for 1 additional hour beyond the time set forth in the establishment’s license, but not to exceed 3:00 a.m. for the period of June 8, 2026 until July 31, 2026, subject to any applicable local rules or regulations and any conditions placed upon its license.

 SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, and subject to section 5, a local licensing authority may designate 1 or more areas in that city or town in which alcoholic beverages are permitted to be consumed in public spaces, subject to such restrictions as the city or town may deem appropriate and only for the period of June 8, 2026 until July 31, 2026. Alcohol consumed within a designated district shall be limited to alcoholic beverages sold by participating licensed establishments located within the designated district.

 SECTION 5. Nothing in this act shall permit a licensed establishment to sell any type or category of alcohol beyond the type or category of alcohol that the licensed establishment is permitted to sell under the license issued to it by the local licensing authority pursuant to section 12 of chapter 138 of the General Laws.             

 SECTION 6. This act shall expire on July 31, 2026.