June 17, 2026
Mrs. Fischer (for herself and Mr. Ricketts) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
To permanently extend the pilot program of the Department of Veterans Affairs on acceptance by the Department of donated facilities and related improvements and to authorize acceptance of donations of construction services, minor construction or nonrecurring maintenance projects, and targeted contributions, and for other purposes.
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 2026
or the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Permanent extension of pilot program on acceptance by the Department of Veterans affairs of donated facilities and related improvements
(a) 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—
(1)
in the section heading, by striking Pilot
;
(2)
in subsection (a), in the subsection heading, by striking Pilot
;
(3)
by striking pilot
each place it appears;
(4)
by striking subsection (i); and
(5)
by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (i).
(b) Modification of acceptance of property
Paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of such section is amended to read as follows:
(1)
the donation aligns with—
(A)
a need identified in a Strategic Capital Investment Planning process priority list, a five-year development plan, a facility master plan, or an annual capital needs inventory of the Department; or
(B)
any component or phase of a need described in paragraph (1); and
Sec. 3. Authority to accept donations of construction services, minor construction or nonrecurring maintenance projects, and targeted contributions
(a) Authority
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may accept donations comprising the total cost or a portion of the cost of—
(1)
minor construction projects;
(2)
nonrecurring maintenance projects; or
(3)
construction services relating—
(A)
to minor construction projects;
(B)
to nonrecurring maintenance projects;
(C)
to an existing facility of the Department; or
(D)
to a new facility or portion thereof of the Department.
(b) Alignment to needs
The Secretary may accept a donation under this section only if—
(1)
the donation aligns with—
(A)
a need identified in a Strategic Capital Investment Planning process priority list, a five-year development plan, a facility master plan, or an annual capital needs inventory of the Department; or
(B)
any component or phase of a need described in subparagraph (A);
(2)
the donation is from an entity described in section 2(a)(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);
(3)
the Secretary determines such donation would—
(A)
accelerate project completion;
(B)
reduce the expense to the Department;
(C)
improve facility condition; or
(D)
otherwise benefit veterans; and
(4)
the donor enters into a formal agreement with the Secretary that includes—
(A)
provisions for the Department’s oversight during performance;
(B)
compliance with applicable construction codes and standards, and applicable laws and regulations;
(C)
donor-provided insurance, warranties, and liability protections;
(D)
the amount of the donation and the amount of the Department’s funding contribution, if any;
(E)
that the donation shall not increase the cost to the Federal Government of completing such project described in subsection (a) (excluding activation and sustainment of such facility); and
(F)
such other terms as the Secretary determines necessary.
(c) Streamlined requirements
For donations under this section that do not involve transfer of real property title—
(1)
the donor shall enter into an agreement with the Department that determines who is responsible to ensure environmental or historic preservation due diligence is completed;
(2)
the donor shall obtain all federally required construction and facility related permits; and
(3)
agreements may be simplified relative to those under 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) to reflect the nature of services or targeted contributions.
(d) Reporting
The Secretary shall include information on donations accepted under this section in the reports required under section 2(g) 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), with separate tracking for donations under this section.