PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.

SEC. 210. PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES. (a) Evaluation and Study.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out an evaluation and study of the feasibility and desirability of providing a personal emergency response system to veterans who have service-connected disabilities. The evaluation and study shall be commenced not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the evaluation and study under subsection (a). The Secretary shall include in the report the Secretary’s findings resulting from the evaluation and study and the Secretary’s conclusion as to whether the Department of Veterans Affairs should 115 STAT. 2465 provide a personal emergency response system to veterans with service-connected disabilities. (c) Authority To Provide System.—If the Secretary concludes in the report under subsection (b) that a personal emergency response system should be provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with service-connected disabilities— (1) the Secretary may provide such a system, without charge, to any veteran with a service-connected disability who is enrolled under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, and who submits an application for such a system under subsection (d); and (2) the Secretary may contract with one or more vendors to furnish such a system. (d) Application.—A personal emergency response system may be provided to a veteran under subsection (c)(1) only upon the submission by the veteran of an application for the system. Any such application shall be in such form and manner as the Secretary may require. (e) Definition.—For purposes of this section, the term “personal emergency response system” means a device— (1) that can be activated by an individual who is experiencing a medical emergency to notify appropriate emergency medical personnel that the individual is experiencing a medical emergency; and (2) that provides the individual’s location through a Global Positioning System indicator.