The bill amends sections 45-53-3 and 45-53-4 of the General Laws concerning "Low and Moderate Income Housing," introducing key definitions and clarifying criteria for housing proposals. It defines "substantial multi-family housing project" as any application for low- or moderate-income housing that exceeds sixty units, inclusive of any density bonus allowance, in municipalities with populations of forty thousand (40,000) residents or less according to the United States Census Bureau. The bill emphasizes the need to consider the impact on public services, including the public school system, public transportation, and public infrastructure, as well as the health and safety of current and future residents when evaluating housing proposals.

The approval process is modified to require separate applications for substantial multi-family housing projects to be submitted to local boards, which will assess their consistency with local needs. The bill outlines that for any application for a substantial multi-family housing project, the municipality must require the applicant to seek a pre-application conference with the local review board or appropriate committee. The applicant must submit a project description, including the number of units, type of housing, density analysis, and a conceptual site plan. The municipality is required to schedule this conference within thirty days unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.

Additionally, the bill mandates that all applications for substantial multi-family housing projects require the applicant to return for final plan review and approval. It specifies that decisions on these projects must be made by a majority vote of the entire local review board. The bill takes effect upon passage and includes provisions for the review and approval process for master and preliminary plan applications, establishing timelines for local review boards to render decisions. If a board fails to act within the specified timeframes, the application is automatically approved.