Text to be removed highlighted in red.
1 Local Land Use Planning and Regulatory Powers; Zoning; Grant of Power; Child Care Centers. Amend RSA 674:16, VI to read as follows:
VI. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the local legislative body of a city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall, as described in RSA 672:1, V-a, allow home-based care (family care and group familycare ) by right or pursuant to a conditional use permit as long as all requirements for such programs adopted in rules of the department of health and human services (He-C 4002) are met. ? Family or group family child care shall be allowed as an accessory use to any primary residential use and shall not be subject to local site plan review in any zone where a primary residential use is permitted. If all requirements of the department of health and human services are met, but an application for a conditional use permit is pending with the municipality in which the home-based child care facility is located, an applicant may begin operation during such time until the permit is granted or denied.
2 New Section; Zoning; Child Care Centers. Amend RSA 674 by inserting after section 16-a the following new section:
674:16-b Child Care Center.
I. In this section:
(a) ?"Child care center" means any of the following types of child day care agency:
(1) Group child day care center, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(c);
(2) Infant and toddler program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(d);
(3) Night care program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(e) ;
(4) Preschool program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(f);
(5) School-age program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(g);
(6) Small group child day care center, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(i); or
(7) Any combination thereof in accordance with the requirements for such programs adopted in rules of the department of health and human services.
(b) "Child care center" shall not include a family day care home as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(a) or a family group day care home as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(b).
II. ?Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, municipalities shall allow the operation of a child care center by right on commercially zoned land so long as the requirements of RSA 170-E and rules adopted thereunder, regarding licensure and operation of a child day care, are met. A city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall not adopt or enforce any ordinance which is different from the requirements of RSA 170-E or rules adopted thereunder by the department of health and human services. However, nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit municipalities from restricting the operation of a child care center in zones where industrial and manufacturing uses are permitted, if the use of the property for child day care is incompatible with the existing industrial and manufacturing use.
III. A municipality shall provide an exemption to any requirements regarding setbacks, height, or frontage of a building being converted to a child care center provided that the building's floor area, height, and setbacks do not change.
IV. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit the child care center from being subject to local site plan review regulations adopted under RSA 674:44 if the proposed structure contains more than 5,000 square feet of gross floor area.
V. Nothing in this section shall prohibit enforcement of applicable state fire, building, water supply and sewage disposal requirements under RSA 153, RSA 155-A, and RSA 485-A.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
Text to be added highlighted in green.
1 Local Land Use Planning and Regulatory Powers; Zoning; Grant of Power; Child Care Centers. Amend RSA 674:16, VI to read as follows:
VI. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the local legislative body of a city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall, as described in RSA 672:1, V-a, allow home-based care (family day care home as defined inRSA 170-E:2, IV(a) and group family day care home as defined inRSA 170-E:2, IV(b) ) by right as long as all requirements for such programs adopted in rules of the department of health and human services (He-C 4002) are met. ? A city, town, or county in which there are unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall not adopt or enforce any ordinance which is different from the requirements ofRSA 170-E or rules adopted thereunder (He-C 4002). Family or group family child care shall be allowed by right as an accessory use to any primary residential use , including in an accessory structure of not more than 950 square feet, and shall not be subject to local site plan review in any zone where a primary residential use is permitted.
2 New Section; Zoning; Child Care Centers. Amend RSA 674 by inserting after section 16-a the following new section:
674:16-b Child Care Center.
I. In this section:
(a) ?"Child care center" means any of the following types of child day care agency:
(1) Group child day care center, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(c);
(2) Infant and toddler program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(d);
(3) Night care program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(e) ;
(4) Preschool program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(f);
(5) School-age program, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(g);
(6) Small group child day care center, as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(i); or
(7) Any combination thereof in accordance with the requirements for such programs adopted in rules of the department of health and human services.
(b) "Child care center" shall not include a family day care home as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(a) or a family group day care home as defined in RSA 170-E:2, IV(b).
II. ?Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, municipalities shall allow the operation of a child care center by right on commercially zoned land so long as the requirements of RSA 170-E and rules adopted thereunder, regarding licensure and operation of a child day care, are met. A city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall not adopt or enforce any ordinance which is different from the requirements of RSA 170-E or rules adopted thereunder by the department of health and human services. However, nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit municipalities from restricting the operation of a child care center in zones where industrial and manufacturing uses are permitted, if the use of the property for child day care is incompatible with the existing industrial and manufacturing use.
III. A municipality shall provide an exemption to any requirements regarding setbacks, height, or frontage of a building being converted to a child care center provided that the building's floor area, height, and setbacks do not change.
IV. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit the child care center from being subject to local site plan review regulations adopted under RSA 674:44 if the proposed structure contains more than 5,000 square feet of gross floor area.
V. Nothing in this section shall prohibit enforcement of applicable state fire, building, water supply and sewage disposal requirements under RSA 153, RSA 155-A, and RSA 485-A.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.