[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 84 (Monday, May 19, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2121-H2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMUNITIES HELPING INVEST THROUGH PROPERTY AND IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED FOR
VETERANS ACT OF 2025
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 217) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the
pilot program authorized by the Communities Helping Invest through
Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 217
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Communities Helping Invest
through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of
2025'' or the ``CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. EXPANDING AND EXTENDING A PILOT PROGRAM ON ACCEPTANCE
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF
DONATED FACILITIES AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) Expansion.--
(1) In general.--Section 2 of the Communities Helping
Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans
Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-294; 38 U.S.C. 8103 note) is
amended, in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``property''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) A minor construction, or nonrecurring maintenance,
project of the Department.''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Such section is further
amended--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``of Property'';
(ii) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``the donation of a property'' and inserting ``a donation'';
(iii) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or project'' after
``property'' each place it appears; and
(iv) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``project,'' after
``improvements,'';
(B) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``real property and improvements donated under the pilot
program'' and inserting ``a donation'';
(II) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; or'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(III) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; or''; and
(IV) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) the performance of a minor construction, or
nonrecurring maintenance, project of the Department.'';
(ii) in paragraph (2)--
(I) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``construction of the
facility'' and inserting ``donation'';
(II) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``maintaining,''
after ``altering,''; and
(III) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``construction of
the facility'' and inserting ``donation'';
(C) in subsection (e)(1)--
(i) by inserting ``alter, maintain,'' after ``design,''
both places it appears;
(ii) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by striking ``real property and improvements donated''
and inserting ``a donation''; and
[[Page H2122]]
(II) by striking ``of the real property and improvements'';
and
(iii) in subparagraph (B)(ii)(I), by striking
``construction and donation of the real property and
improvements'' and inserting ``donation''; and
(D) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ``real property and
improvements donated'' and inserting ``donations''.
(b) Extension.--Such section is further amended, in
subsection (i), by striking ``December 16, 2026'' and
inserting ``December 16, 2031''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R.
217, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
{time} 1615
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 217, as amended. This
bill was introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), my good
friend and colleague.
This bill would reauthorize the CHIP IN pilot program for another 5
years while expanding it nationwide. This pilot program has enabled
public-private partnerships with VA to help fund the construction of
projects for healthcare facilities. It is set to expire next year.
In Omaha, Nebraska, VA and local partners used this authority to
build an outpatient clinic 1 year ahead of schedule and $35 million
under budget. They delivered to veterans in Nebraska a modern state-of-
the-art facility. With this bill, we would move VA to pursue even more
public-private partnerships across the country to build new facilities
in communities where veterans need them the most.
I thank my friend, Representative Bacon, for his work to bring the
CHIP IN program to communities nationwide.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 217, as
amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 217, the CHIP IN for Veterans
Act, as amended.
Now more than ever, VA needs flexibility and creative methods to
address its infrastructure needs. This legislation extends through 2031
a pilot program that allows VA to accept donations of properties to
meet its strategic capital investment project needs. It also expands
the types of donations that VA can accept, to include minor
construction and nonrecurring maintenance projects.
VA's infrastructure needs are estimated to be over $150 billion, and
those needs are growing every day. The average age of VA medical
centers is over 60 years old, and many have retrofitting and
maintenance needs that are not addressed under VA's existing budget
requests.
This pilot program presents an opportunity to find creative
solutions, where possible, to address VA's infrastructure needs. Non-
Federal entities may donate either real property that already includes
a constructed facility or that can be used as a site of a new facility
constructed by the donor, or entities may donate a facility to be
constructed on property VA already owns.
Under the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, donors must independently donate
the real property, improvements, goods, or services for the project in
an amount acceptable to VA and at no additional cost to the government.
So far, VA has received donations resulting in two medical
facilities, an ambulatory care center in Omaha, Nebraska, which began
seeing patients in 2020, and an inpatient medical center in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, which is expected to open next year.
Under the existing CHIP IN for Veterans Act authority, VA has only
been able to accept donations that result in major construction
projects, which are projects for which Congress has appropriated at
least $20 million.
H.R. 217, as amended, would expand the CHIP IN program to include
minor construction and nonrecurring maintenance projects. This would
allow VA to accept donations of smaller outpatient clinics or to make
improvements or build additions to existing facilities. Hopefully, with
this expanded authority, VA will be able to attract even more
donations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 217,
the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025, as amended, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), the sponsor of this bill, who has lived and seen
what it has done.
Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for this
opportunity. This is a win for veterans from coast to coast, all 50
States, Puerto Rico, you name it. This is a win for veterans.
I rise today in support of H.R. 217, Communities Helping Invest
through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2025, or
the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, a bipartisan bill that strengthens and
expands a proven program to deliver modern healthcare facilities for
our Nation's veterans more efficiently and at a lower cost to
taxpayers.
H.R. 217 leverages the success of the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of
2016. We have extended it twice, and it is going to expire in 2026 if
we don't get this bill done today.
H.R. 217, as amended, would reauthorize the pilot program and clarify
the original intent of the program to allow the Department of Veterans
Affairs to accept donations of real property from non-Federal partners
for the construction, improvement, or renovation of VA medical
facilities.
The bill changes current law to designate that eligible projects may
include minor construction and nonrecurring maintenance, in addition to
the major construction projects. These revisions are intended to expand
participation in the CHIP IN program and accelerate the delivery of
modernized VA infrastructure for veterans across the country.
I want to stress something that the chairman mentioned earlier in his
comments. The first example of this use was completed in 2020. The VA
programmed a total of $135 million to build a new ambulatory clinic in
Omaha. We built that facility at the cost of $80 million at a higher
specification and at better requirements, better across the board than
what the VA would have done by itself, a $55 million savings. On top of
that, we took $30 million in philanthropic money and offset that $85
million down to $55 million.
In all, we saved the taxpayers $80 million on this one project, and
we are looking to do it again with the inpatient facility, where we
think we can save a half-billion dollars for the VA and provide a
better clinic for inpatient care for our veterans.
This trailblazing partnership delivered a 157,000-square-foot
outpatient facility that serves hundreds of veterans each day using
eight primary care clinics, a first-of-its-kind women's healthcare
clinic, and one specialty care clinic, a surgical suite with five
operating rooms, including pre- and post-op space, radiology, and an
onsite lab. The facility offers a satellite pharmacy with retail
services.
This has become a national model for how a non-Federal investment can
supplement VA's investment while reducing the cost for the Federal
Government. The success of this project inspired a second facility in
Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the ranking member said. The GAO has even
recommended that the VA share lessons learned from the Omaha project to
replicate its efficiency and innovation.
I cannot emphasize enough the critical role of public-private
partnerships in expanding access to high-quality healthcare for our
Nation's veterans. The Omaha facility is a testament to what is
possible when the public and private sectors come together.
There are so many people in our country who have done well, and they
want to invest in our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the CHIP IN for Veterans Act.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in
passing
[[Page H2123]]
H.R. 217, the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all of our Members to
support H.R. 217, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 217, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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