SECTION 1. Section 24 of chapter 138 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding, in line 18, after the words “quantities thereof”, the following:—

; provided, further, that no regulation promulgated as a result of this section shall prohibit the practice of selling, offering to sell or delivering to any person or group of persons any drinks at a price less than the price regularly charged for such drinks for a period longer than 4 days, except at private functions not open to the public

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the alcoholic beverages control commission shall, 1 year after the effective date of SECTION 1, conduct an investigation and study as to of the impacts of said section. The commission shall report the results of its investigation and study, together with drafts of legislation, if any, necessary to carry its recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, who shall forward the same to the joint committee on consumer protection and professional licensure on or before December 31, 2018.”.