This bill amends RSA 674 by introducing a new subdivision that prohibits planning boards from differentiating residential developments based on the number of bedrooms during the hearing and approval process. Specifically, it inserts new sections 674:77 and 674:78, which define "residential development" and "bedroom," and establish that planning boards cannot reject applications solely based on the number of bedrooms, provided that the development meets water supply and sewage disposal requirements. The bill clarifies that this prohibition does not affect existing regulations from the department of environmental services regarding sewage disposal systems, nor does it prevent building inspectors from considering bedroom counts when assessing water and sewage capacity for permits.

Additionally, the bill allows applications to adhere to workforce housing standards, which require that at least 50 percent of the units in a development contain two or more bedrooms. The effective date of the act is set for 60 days after its passage. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the approval process for residential developments by removing bedroom count as a criterion for planning boards.