Bill filed to allow Pembroke one additional off-premises alcohol license at 256 Church Street

House Bill No. 4570, filed Sept. 11, 2025, would authorize the Town of Pembroke licensing authority to grant one additional retail license for the sale of alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises at 256 Church Street (Parcel ID: G15-38). Representative Kenneth P. Sweezey of Duxbury submitted the bill; Representative Kathleen R. LaNatra was added as a petitioner on Sept. 16, 2025.

The bill text says the new license must comply with the remainder of chapter 138 of the Massachusetts General Laws except for section 17, and that the licensing authority may grant only one such additional license. It bars approval of a transfer of that license to another location but allows the licensing authority to grant the license to a new applicant at the same address provided the applicant files letters from the Department of Revenue and the Department of Unemployment Assistance indicating the license is in good standing and that applicable taxes, fees and contributions have been paid.

If the license “is cancelled, revoked or no longer in use,” the measure requires the license to be returned physically to the licensing authority, which may then grant it to a new applicant at the same or a different location. The bill does not state further procedural deadlines or an effective date beyond the enacted text.

The filing identifies the bill as House Docket No. 5140 and House No. 4570 and lists the referral subject as Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, with the note "Local Approval Received." The document is labeled as part of the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court (2025–2026).

The bill references chapter 138 of the General Laws, the state statute that governs the licensing and sale of alcoholic beverages. The document does not record any committee action, a legislative vote, or a final disposition; its status beyond filing is not specified in the text.

Local officials or the Pembroke licensing authority would be responsible for issuing the license if the bill becomes law and is implemented. The bill’s conditions—particularly the prohibition on transferring the license to a different location and the requirement for good-standing letters from the Department of Revenue and the Department of Unemployment Assistance—are administrative requirements that would affect prospective licensees and the town’s licensing process.

No dollar amounts, municipal approvals beyond the statement "Local Approval Received," or public-comment records are included in the filing.