Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.

In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.

“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.

“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”

The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.

“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.

She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”

In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.

Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.

What happened in Nottingham?

Thomas Moulton, the Seacoast entrepreneur, proposed converting a vacant warehouse on Route 4 into a data center to the Nottingham planning board in May, which was first reported by InDepthNH.

In the days leading up to the planning board meeting, a petition online garnered more than 25,000 signatures.

Moulton withdrew his application hours before the meeting last Wednesday, where he was slated to discuss the proposal.

He cited the fierce criticism from local residents, which included a planned protest outside the meeting.

Protestors still gathered outside the meeting on May 27, and dozens of residents spoke out against data centers during the meeting’s public comment section.

What caused public pushback to the data center?

Kristen Lamb, who serves on the town’s conservation committee and master plan update subcommittee, said she was concerned about water quality impacts, increased electricity bills and noise pollution. She said Nottingham residents care deeply about protecting the natural landscape.

“We have a history of prioritizing our natural history, our natural resources and water quality” she said.

Numerous studies have found the energy consumption of data centers could place a serious strain on water infrastructure and power grids.

Plus, Lamb argued that building a data center would violate the town’s zoning ordinances.

In the days leading up to last week’s meeting, Lamb spoke out online and wrote letters detailing her concerns to the planning board and Gov. Kelly Ayotte.

What does state law say?

Data centers have become an increasingly hot-button issue in state legislatures across the country.

In New Hampshire, Democratic legislators introduced Senate Bill 439 earlier this year, which would have created a statewide definition of data centers and granted local municipalities more authority over regulating them. Sen. Debra Altschiller co-sponsored the bill.

“[Building data centers is] one of the fastest growing and, quite frankly, most disruptive forms of industrial development in the country,” said Altschiller. “It’s something brand new, and we can’t treat the development of AI data centers as if it is just any other kind of manufacturing.”

In a Senate committee in January, Sen. Timothy Lang, a Republican, introduced an amendment that pushed the legislation in the opposite direction.

“Basically, what the amendment does is rewrite the bill,” he said during the committee meeting on Jan. 20. The amended bill would instead limit towns’ ability to regulate data centers, and allow them in commercial and industrial zones.

The amended bill passed the House Committee on Municipal and County Government along party lines on May 5.

However, it died in a bipartisan floor vote in the House, 304-11, meaning there was no real movement in state laws or regulations on data centers this year.

“Municipalities are left with whatever they have in place right now, today,” said Altschiller. “And it’s not a whole lot.”

Democrats in the House also introduced a bill that would prohibit building data centers in the state and create a committee to study their environmental impact. It failed in committee.

What happens now?

Despite Moulton’s withdrawal, Kristen Lamb said he could still reintroduce the proposal in the future or another developer could try a similar plan, so she and other residents are continuing their fight.

“Our town is interested in moving forward with a moratorium or exploring what we can do to make it explicit that data centers or any kind of commercial industry that has that kind of impact on our water, residents income and way of life and wildlife doesn’t get passed,” she said.

The planning board’s workshop meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on June 3 at the town office building.