Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 178Q, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, the following section:-

Section 178R. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Abutting”, located within 1,000 feet of any part of the property owned for the operation of the group home.

“Group home”, any residence or home operating as a halfway house for alcoholics under a license issued by the department of public health pursuant to section 6A of chapter 111B or any residence or home operating under a residential site license issued by the department of mental health pursuant to 104 C.M.R. 28.13.

“Sex offender”,  any sex offender, as defined in section 178C, given a level 2 or level 3 designation by the sex offender registry board pursuant to section 178K.

(b) Within 48 hours of the admission of a sex offender to a group home, the owner of the group home shall notify the owner of any abutting residential home or daycare facility or the principal of any abutting school of the admission of such sex offender. Notification pursuant to this section shall require the owner of the group home to furnish a photograph and description of the sex offender.