HR 217 — CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025

changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

 COMMUNITIES HELPING INVEST THROUGH PROPERTY
 AND IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED FOR VETERANS ACT OF
 2016

 * * * * * * *

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ACCEPTANCE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
 AFFAIRS OF DONATED FACILITIES AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS.

 (a) Pilot Program Authorized.--
 (1) In general.--Notwithstanding sections 8103 and 
 8104 of title 38, United States Code, the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs may carry out a pilot program under 
 which the Secretary may accept donations of the 
 following [property] from entities described in 
 paragraph (2):
 (A) Real property (including structures and 
 equipment associated therewith)--
 (i) that includes a constructed 
 facility; or
 (ii) to be used as the site of a 
 facility constructed by the entity.
 (B) A facility to be constructed by the 
 entity on real property of the Department of 
 Veterans Affairs.
 (C) A minor construction, or nonrecurring 
 maintenance, project of the Department.
 (2) Entities described.--Entities described in this 
 paragraph are the following:
 (A) A State or local authority.
 (B) An organization that is described in 
 section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
 of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under 
 section 501(a) of such Code.
 (C) A limited liability corporation.
 (D) A private entity.
 (E) A donor or donor group.
 (F) Any other non-Federal Government entity.
 (3) Limitation.--The Secretary may accept not more 
 than five donations of real property and facility 
 improvements under the pilot program and as described 
 in this section.
 (b) Conditions for Acceptance [of Property].--The Secretary 
may accept [the donation of a property] a donation described in 
subsection (a)(1) under the pilot program only if--
 (1) the property or project is--
 (A) a property or project with respect to 
 which funds have been appropriated for a 
 Department facility project or for which funds 
 are available from the Construction, Minor 
 Projects, or Construction, Major Projects 
 appropriations accounts; or
 (B) a property or project identified as--
 (i) meeting a need of the Department 
 as part of the long-range capital 
 planning process of the Department; and
 (ii) the location for a Department 
 facility project that is included on 
 the Strategic Capital Investment 
 Planning process priority list in the 
 most recent budget submitted to 
 Congress by the President pursuant to 
 section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
 States Code; and
 (2) an entity described in subsection (a)(2) has 
 entered into or is willing to enter into a formal 
 agreement with the Secretary in accordance with 
 subsection (c) under which the entity agrees to 
 independently donate the real property, improvements, 
 project, goods, or services, for the Department 
 facility project in an amount acceptable to the 
 Secretary and at no additional cost to the Federal 
 Government.
 (c) Requirement To Enter Into an Agreement.--
 (1) In general.--The Secretary may accept [real 
 property and improvements donated under the pilot 
 program] a donation by an entity described in 
 subsection (a)(2) only if the entity enters into a 
 formal agreement with the Secretary that provides for--
 (A) the donation of real property and 
 improvements (including structures and 
 equipment associated therewith) that includes a 
 constructed facility[; or];
 (B) the construction by the entity of a 
 facility on--
 (i) real property and improvements of 
 the Department of Veterans Affairs; or
 (ii) real property and improvements 
 donated to the Department by the 
 entity[.]; or
 (C) the performance of a minor construction, 
 or nonrecurring maintenance, project of the 
 Department.
 (2) Content of formal agreements.--With respect to an 
 entity described in subsection (a)(2) that seeks to 
 enter into a formal agreement under paragraph (1) of 
 this subsection that includes the construction by the 
 entity of a facility, the formal agreement shall 
 provide for the following:
 (A) The entity shall conduct all necessary 
 environmental and historic preservation due 
 diligence, shall comply with all local zoning 
 requirements (except for studies and 
 consultations required of the Department under 
 Federal law), and shall obtain all permits 
 required in connection with the [construction 
 of the facility] donation.
 (B) The entity shall use construction 
 standards required of the Department when 
 designing, repairing, altering, maintaining, or 
 building the facility, except to the extent the 
 Secretary determines otherwise, as permitted by 
 applicable law.
 (C) The entity shall provide the real 
 property, improvements, goods, or services in a 
 manner described in subsection (b)(2) 
 sufficient to complete the [construction of the 
 facility] donation, at no additional cost to 
 the Federal Government.
 (d) No Payment of Rent or Usage Fees.--The Secretary may not 
pay rent, usage fees, or any other amounts to an entity 
described in subsection (a)(2) or any other entity for the use 
or occupancy of real property or improvements donated under 
this section.
 (e) Funding.--
 (1) From department.--
 (A) In general.--Except as otherwise provided 
 in this paragraph, the Secretary may not 
 provide funds to help the entity finance, 
 design, alter, maintain, or construct a 
 facility in connection with [real property and 
 improvements donated] a donation under the 
 pilot program by an entity described in 
 subsection (a)(2) that are in addition to the 
 funds appropriated for the facility or funds 
 already generally available in the 
 Construction, Minor Projects, or Construction, 
 Major Projects appropriations accounts as of 
 the date on which the Secretary and the entity 
 enter into a formal agreement under subsection 
 (c) for the donation [of the real property and 
 improvements].
 (B) Unobligated amounts.--The Secretary may 
 provide additional funds to help an entity 
 described in subsection (a)(2) finance, design, 
 alter, maintain, or construct a facility in 
 connection with real property and improvements 
 to be donated under the pilot program and 
 proposed to be accepted by the Secretary under 
 subsection (b)(1)(B) if--
 (i) the Secretary determines that 
 doing so is in the best interest of the 
 Department and consistent with the 
 mission of the Department; and
 (ii) funding provided under this 
 subparagraph--
 (I) is in addition to amounts 
 that have been appropriated for 
 the facility before the date on 
 which the Secretary and the 
 entity enter into a formal 
 agreement under subsection (c) 
 for the [construction and 
 donation of the real property 
 and improvements] donation; and
 (II) is derived only from 
 amounts that--
 (aa) are unobligated 
 balances available in 
 the Construction, Minor 
 Projects, or 
 Construction, Major 
 Projects appropriations 
 accounts of the 
 Department that--
 (AA) are not 
 associated with 
 a specific 
 project; or
 (BB) are 
 amounts that 
 are associated 
 with a specific 
 project, but 
 are unobligated 
 because they 
 are the result 
 of bid savings; 
 and
 (bb) were 
 appropriated to such an 
 account before the date 
 described in subclause 
 (I).
 (C) Escalation clauses.--
 (i) In general.--The Secretary may 
 include an escalation clause in a 
 formal agreement under subsection (c) 
 that authorizes an escalation of not 
 more than an annual amount based on a 
 rate established in the formal 
 agreement and mutually agreed upon by 
 the Secretary and an entity to account 
 for inflation for an area if the 
 Secretary determines, after 
 consultation with the head of an 
 appropriate Federal entity that is not 
 part of the Department, that such 
 escalation is necessary and in the best 
 interest of the Department.
 (ii) Use of existing amounts.--The 
 Secretary may obligate funds pursuant 
 to clause (i) in connection with a 
 formal agreement under subsection (c) 
 using amounts that--
 (I) are unobligated balances 
 available in the Construction, 
 Minor Projects, or 
 Construction, Major Projects 
 appropriations accounts of the 
 Department that--
 (aa) are not 
 associated with a 
 specific project; or
 (bb) are amounts that 
 are associated with a 
 specific project, but 
 are unobligated because 
 they are the result of 
 bid savings; and
 (II) were appropriated to 
 such an account before the date 
 on which the Secretary and the 
 entity entered into the formal 
 agreement.
 (D) Availability.--Unobligated amounts shall 
 be available pursuant to subparagraphs (B) and 
 (C) only to the extent and in such amounts as 
 provided in advance in appropriations Acts 
 subsequent to the date of the enactment of this 
 subparagraph, subject to subparagraph (E).
 (E) Limitation.--Unobligated amounts made 
 available pursuant to subparagraphs (B) and (C) 
 may not exceed 40 percent of the amount 
 appropriated for the facility before the date 
 on which the Secretary and the entity entered 
 into a formal agreement under subsection (c).
 (F) Terms and conditions.--The Secretary 
 shall provide funds pursuant to this paragraph 
 under such terms, conditions, and schedule as 
 the Secretary determines appropriate.
 (2) From entity.--An entity described in subsection 
 (a)(2) that is donating a facility constructed by the 
 entity under the pilot program shall be required, 
 pursuant to a formal agreement entered into under 
 subsection (c), to provide other funds in addition to 
 the amounts provided by the Department under paragraph 
 (1) that are needed to complete construction of the 
 facility.
 (f) Application.--An entity described in subsection (a)(2) 
that seeks to donate real property and improvements under the 
pilot program shall submit to the Secretary an application to 
address needs relating to facilities of the Department, 
including health care needs, identified in the Construction and 
Long-Range Capital Plan of the Department, at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
 (g) Information on Donations and Related Projects.--
 (1) In general.--The Secretary shall include in the 
 budget submitted to Congress by the President pursuant 
 to section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, 
 information regarding [real property and improvements 
 donated] donations under the pilot program during the 
 year preceding the submittal of the budget and the 
 status of facility projects relating to that property.
 (2) Elements.--Information submitted under paragraph 
 (1) shall provide a detailed status of donations of 
 real property and improvements conducted under the 
 pilot program and facility projects relating to that 
 property, including the percentage completion of the 
 donations and projects.
 (h) Biennial Report of Comptroller General of the United 
States.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years until the 
termination date set forth in subsection (i), the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 
on the donation agreements entered into under the pilot 
program.
 (i) Termination.--The authority for the Secretary to accept 
donations under the pilot program shall terminate on [December 
16, 2026] December 16, 2031.
 (j) Rules of Construction.--
 (1) Entering arrangements and agreements.--Nothing in 
 this section shall be construed as a limitation on the 
 authority of the Secretary to enter into other 
 arrangements or agreements that are authorized by law 
 and not inconsistent with this section.
 (2) Treatment of assistance.--Nothing provided under 
 this section shall be treated as Federal financial 
 assistance as defined in section 200.40 of title 2, 
 Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on February 
 21, 2021.