This bill amends RSA 674 by introducing a new subdivision that prohibits planning boards from considering the number of bedrooms in a residential development during the hearing and approval process. Specifically, it inserts a new section (674:78) that states if a residential development proposal meets the necessary requirements for water supply and sewage disposal, planning boards cannot reject the application based on the number of bedrooms. The bill also 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 for the application of 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 this 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.