Section 32B. A city or town may from time to time publish, distribute or sell compilations of zoning ordinances or by-laws and amendments thereto, certified by the city or town clerk, and effective as of a specified date. The compilations and supplements thereto may include zoning maps and subdivision control, public health, safety and other land use control and environmental quality laws, ordinances, by-laws, regulations, rules, and orders, notices of hearings on proposed and pending amendments which, if adopted, would affect construction begun after the notice of hearing, and claims of invalidity of ordinances or by-laws filed with the clerk, all in such manner as to permit public officials, owners, purchasers, mortgagees of property and others to ascertain the zoning pending or applicable to property at any time.

Zoning maps may, in addition to showing boundaries, also identify historic or architectural districts for which special certificates or permits may be required, certified historical landmarks or places, land publicly owned, designated as wetlands or subject to wetlands regulations, land subject to conservation or preservation restrictions under chapter one hundred and eighty-four, and other land use or environmental quality control information.

The city or town clerk may arrange for the distribution of such compilations and supplements thereto to city, town, county, regional and state public offices, and for the public sale of such compilations and supplements thereto at appropriate places, at a price not to exceed the estimated cost of preparation, publication, distribution and sale. The director of housing and community development and registers of deeds may assist the clerk in such distribution. Said director may suggest guidelines for such compilations and supplements thereto, procedures for verifying the text of zoning enactments and the accuracy of zoning maps, require a copy of each zoning compilation, supplement and map, and may also assist in the preparation, publication, distribution and sale of such compilations and supplements thereto.