Section 1. (a) Notwithstanding Section 17 of Chapter 138 of the General Laws, the licensing authority of the town of Walpole may grant 2 non-transferable restricted additional licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises pursuant to Section 15 of said Chapter 138; provided, that both licenses shall be granted only to establishments located within the Town’s Central Business District, as that district was defined by the town’s Zoning By-Law as of January 1, 2025. The licenses granted pursuant to this section shall be subject to all of said Chapter 138 except said Section 17.

(b) The licensing authority shall not approve the transfer of a license granted pursuant to this act to a location outside of the Town’s Central Business District, but it may grant any such license to a new applicant at a location with the Central Business District 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) If a license granted pursuant to this act is cancelled, revoked or no longer in use at the location of original issuance, it shall be returned physically, with all the legal rights, privileges and restrictions pertaining thereto, to the licensing authority, which licensing authority may then grant the license to a new applicant at the same or a different location within the Town’s Central Business District under the same conditions as specified in this act.

(d) All licenses granted under this act shall be issued within 3 years after the effective date of this act; provided, that a license originally granted within that time period may be grated to a new applicant under subsection (c) at any time thereafter.

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