A new Massachusetts law signed this week by Gov. Charlie Baker requires all legal notices published in newspapers to also appear on a statewide legal notice website. Filed in January 2015 by state Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy, a Democrat from Franklin, the bill had the support of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association, of which the Gazette is a member.

In a news release, Representative Roy noted that readership of newspapers has migrated from print to online, where it is at an all-time high.

“This new law will capitalize on online readership and increase access to information, including public records, documents and hearing notices,” he said. “It encourages civic engagement and it will revolutionize access to public notices, long left to the back pages of newsprint in small fonts and unattractive layouts.”

Gazette publisher Jane Seagrave, secretary of the MNPA, said the group began last year researching how to accommodate the law without passing additional costs onto government entities that are required to post legal notices.

As the result of its research, the MNPA has launched a new statewide website, masspublicnotices.org, based on a platform developed in Illinois and in use in a number of states, including New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It will give users access to all public notices from all newspapers in the state. In addition, it features a smart search capability that will allow users to receive daily updates relative to legal notices that respond to user delineated search terms.

The MNPA will bear the cost of launching, operating and maintaining this statewide website.

“Legal notices are an essential means by which citizens are kept informed about the actions of their state and local governments and courts,” said Robert J. Ambrogi, MNPA executive director. “The newspapers of Massachusetts are committed to ensuring the broadest-possible access to these notices, both in print and online.”

The new law will take effect in 180 days.