SECTION 1. The definition of “community news website” in subsection (b) of section 13 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence: - a website that has a newsletter subscription which serves at least fifteen per of the municipality's households.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 13 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, a municipality and its public schools, their subdivisions, committees, boards, commissions or offices which are required by statute, ordinance, by-law or judicial order to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation, may meet such requirement through 1 or more of the following means:

          (i) a print newspaper of local or general circulation;

          (ii) the website of a print newspaper of local or general circulation;

          (iii) a community news website that satisfies all criteria for digital publication as set forth in subsection (c) (i)-(iii) of said section 13 of said chapter 4;

          (iv) a statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices.

SECTION 3. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to alter or amend the requirement that a municipality publish legal notices on its municipal website.

SECTION 4. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to alter or amend the time or timing of publication of legal notices set forth in the General Laws.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage.