Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 23, § 9H

Whenever the Governor shall determine that an emergency exists in respect to food, or fuel, or any other common necessity of life, including the providing of shelter, or any two or more of such necessaries of life, he may, by writing signed by him, designate the adjutant general, the director of civil defense, the secretary of labor and workforce development and the commissioner of the division of occupational licensure to act as an emergency commission, and thereupon the Commission shall have, with respect to the necessary or necessaries of life as to which the emergency exists, all powers and authority granted by the Commonwealth Defense Act of nineteen hundred and seventeen, being chapter three hundred and forty-two of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and seventeen, to persons designated or appointed by the Governor under section twelve of said chapter three hundred and forty-two; and the Governor may revoke such written authority at any time. During such an emergency, the governor, with the approval of the council, may make and promulgate rules and regulations, effective forthwith, for the carrying out of the purposes of this section and for the performance by the commonwealth and the cities and towns thereof of any function affecting food or fuel or any other common necessary of life, including the providing of shelter, authorized under Article XLVII of the amendments to the constitution. Violation of any such rule or regulation shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both. The provisions of said chapter three hundred and forty-two are hereby made operative to such extent as the provisions of this section may from time to time require.