Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 57C of chapter 59 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1996 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the eighth paragraph the following two paragraphs:-

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, whenever such actual tax bills cannot be mailed by December 31, an additional notice of preliminary tax may be issued and payment of a third quarter preliminary installment may be required; provided, however, that no such additional notice of preliminary tax may issue unless first approved by the commissioner of revenue; and provided, further, that as a condition of such approval, the commissioner may establish such requirements as he deems appropriate, which may include, but not be limited to, the submission by the board of assessors of all information required to set the tax rate under the provisions of section 23, except the assessed valuation of all real and personal property subject to taxation for the current fiscal year. The assessors shall establish the tax rate for the fiscal year no later than April 1. In no event shall the net amount of revenue to be raised by taxation, as submitted to the commissioner pursuant to any such requirements for approval under this section, be exceeded, except to the extent that additional new growth, as certified by the commissioner pursuant to paragraph (f) of section 21C, exceeds the prior approved amount and a referendum question submitted to the voters under the provisions of paragraph (g), (i½), (j) or (k) of said section 21C has been approved.

In the event an additional notice of preliminary tax requiring a third quarter preliminary installment payment is issued by a city or town, such notice shall be mailed on or before December 31, or such later date as may be authorized by the commissioner, and such entire notice shall be due and payable on February 1, or 30 days after the date of mailing such notice, whichever is later, after which date if unpaid, it shall become delinquent. The amount of any third quarter preliminary installment payment shall not exceed the amount of the first quarter installment payment for the fiscal year as provided in this section. The actual tax bill issued upon the establishment of the tax rate for the fiscal year, after credit is given for the preliminary tax payments previously made, shall be due and payable on May 1, or 30 days after the date of mailing such bill, whichever is later, after which date if unpaid, it shall become delinquent. Such bill shall represent the full balance owed after credit is given for the preliminary tax payments previously made. All provisions of this section regarding procedures for issuing, mailing and collecting the notice of preliminary tax requiring first and second quarter preliminary installment payments shall be applicable to any additional notice of preliminary tax, including payment of interest.

SECTION 2. This act shall apply to tax bills issued for any fiscal year that begins on or after July 1, 1997.