An Act relative to alcoholic beverage containers

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Tackey Chan

Allows licensed retailers to sell beverages in any container size approved by the federal TTB, not limited to Massachusetts-specific sizes.

Overview

HD 883, titled “An Act relative to alcoholic beverage containers,” is a proposed Massachusetts bill sponsored by Representative Tackey Chan (2nd Norfolk). The bill seeks to modify how alcoholic beverages may be sold by licensees by allowing container sizes approved by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The bill appears as a new amendment to existing state law and references a long-standing, similar measure previously filed in earlier sessions.

Bill Number: HD 883

Title: An Act relative to alcoholic beverage containers

Sponsor: Representative Tackey Chan (Quincy)

Filed: January 13, 2025

Session: Massachusetts 194th General Court (2025-2026)

Status: Proposed bill (status not specified in the provided text)

Key Provisions

Amendment to Section 15 of Chapter 138 of the Massachusetts General Laws (as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition).

New language added after the word “thirty-three” in line 78, specifying:

“Any such licensee shall be permitted to make sales in any size container approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) as appearing in Title 27 CFR 5.47 a(a)(1).”

PracticalEffect: This grants licensees the authority to sell alcoholic beverages in container sizes that the TTB has approved under 27 CFR 5.47 a(a)(1), rather than being limited to a set of MA-specific container sizes.

Who Would Be Affected

Licensed alcohol beverage retailers and licensees operating under Massachusetts liquor laws.

Potentially includes producers, distributors, and retailers who sell alcohol direct to consumers, depending on how “licensee” is interpreted in practice under MA law.

Regulatory alignment with federal standards: container sizes must be among those approved by the TTB.

Impact and Implications

Policy Shift: The bill removes or broadens state-imposed container-size restrictions by enabling the use of any container size already approved by the TTB.

Operational Flexibility: Licensees would have greater flexibility in packaging, perhaps enabling new packaging formats, promotional packaging, or business model adaptations.

Regulatory Alignment: Creates consistency with federal standards, potentially reducing regulatory friction between state and federal requirements on container sizes.

Consumer/Market Effects: Could lead to a wider variety of container sizes available to customers, affecting pricing, inventory, and product presentation.

Procedural and Timeline Notes

The bill is a proposed measure introduced in the 2025-2026 session but no status (enacted, amended, or defeated) is listed in the provided text.

To become law, HD 883 would need passage by both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court and assent by the Governor.

The bill references a previously filed, similar matter (House 272 of 2023-2024), indicating ongoing consideration of container-size flexibility.

Additional Context

The text includes the exact proposed statutory insertion and cites Title 27 CFR 5.47 a(a)(1) as the basis for the approved container sizes.

The measure builds on historic efforts to align state container-size rules with federal regulatory allowances.

If you’d like, I can add a brief comparison to Massachusetts’ current container-size rules (if you provide the current text) or summarize potential fiscal impacts based on typical regulatory changes of this type.

Bill