An Act relative to the sale of wines and malt beverages by food stores

This bill allows food stores in Massachusetts to sell wine and malt beverages for off-premises consumption, provided they meet specific criteria. To qualify, a store must permanently sell staple foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, or breads and limit its dedicated alcohol display area to no more than 35% of its interior floor space or 10,000 square feet total. The legislation also mandates that these stores enforce strict age verification policies for all customers and restricts the sale of large or small containers, while permitting the sale of growlers. Local authorities retain the power to set consistent business hours for alcohol sales and the state commission will create necessary regulations to oversee the program.