This bill mandates that municipal planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment must review and consider recommendations from local environmental commissions regarding applications for development. While current law allows environmental commissions to submit recommendations, it does not require the boards to take these recommendations into account. The new legislation aims to ensure that these environmental insights are integrated into the decision-making process of the boards, thereby promoting environmentally conscious development practices.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that planning boards and boards of adjustment must provide a copy of every application for development to the environmental commission, replacing the previous requirement for only an "informational" copy. It also changes the law to state that failure to provide a copy of the application will invalidate any hearing or proceeding, whereas the previous law indicated that such failure would not invalidate the proceedings. This shift emphasizes the importance of environmental input in the development process and strengthens the role of environmental commissions in local governance.