Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 6 of chapter 40A of the General Laws, as amended by chapter 29 of the acts of 2000, is hereby further amended by striking out the seventh paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Disapproval of a plan shall not serve to terminate any rights which shall have accrued under the provisions of this section, provided an appeal from the decision disapproving said plan is made under applicable provisions of law. Such appeal shall stay, pending either (1) the conclusion of voluntary mediation proceedings and the filing of a written agreement for judgment or stipulation of dismissal, or (2) the entry of an order or decree of a court of final jurisdiction, the applicability to land shown on said plan of the provisions of any zoning ordinance or by-law which became effective after the date of submission of the plan first submitted, together with time required to comply with any such agreement or with the terms of any order or decree of the court.