SECTION 1.  Chapter 260 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 5B, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section: -

§5B. Civil rights actions

Actions arising on account of violations of any law intended for the protection of civil rights, including but not limited to actions alleging employment, housing and other discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, ancestry or handicap shall be commenced only within three years next after the cause of action accrues, except that an action commenced under 42 U.S.C. §1681-1686,Title IX, for sexual assault, or sexual abuse, as that term is defined in G.L. c. 260, section 4C, shall be governed by the provisions of G.L. c. 260, section 4C½.

SECTION 2.  Chapter 277 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding at the end of section 63, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, the following paragraph: -

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an indictment or complaint alleging an offense of indecent assault and battery, or an offense of rape, may be found and filed at any time after the commission of such offense, provided that the victim was under the age of 18 when the offense was committed.