CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- S. 4815
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-17: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T16:19:01Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation permanently extends a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program allowing acceptance of donated facilities and related improvements. It also authorizes the VA to accept donations for minor construction projects, nonrecurring maintenance projects, and construction services, with the goal of supporting veterans' facilities through private contributions.
Key Provisions
- Permanent Extension: Amends the 2016 Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act to remove the "pilot" designation, making the program ongoing. It updates rules for accepting donated property to require alignment with VA planning documents such as strategic capital investment lists, five-year development plans, facility master plans, or annual capital needs inventories.
- New Donation Authority: Allows the VA Secretary to accept donations covering all or part of the cost of minor construction, nonrecurring maintenance, or related construction services for existing or new VA facilities. Donations must come from eligible entities, align with identified needs, and meet criteria such as accelerating completion, reducing costs, improving conditions, or benefiting veterans.
- Formal Agreements and Safeguards: Requires donors to enter agreements covering oversight, compliance with codes and laws, insurance, warranties, liability protections, cost details, and confirmation that the donation will not increase federal costs (excluding activation and sustainment).
- Streamlined Processes: For donations not involving real property title transfer, simplifies requirements for environmental or historic preservation reviews, permits, and agreements compared to the original program.
- Reporting: Integrates information on new donations into existing annual reports, with separate tracking.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Converts the temporary pilot program into a permanent authority by striking time-limited provisions and the "pilot" label from the 2016 Act.
- Expands donation categories beyond facilities to include construction services, minor projects, and maintenance work, with new alignment and agreement requirements.
- Introduces streamlined rules for certain donations to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining oversight.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Enables the VA to leverage private resources for facility improvements, potentially speeding up projects and lowering direct federal spending on minor construction and maintenance.
- On Citizens: May result in enhanced VA facilities and services for veterans through additional donations, without direct effects on the general public or international relations.
- On Stakeholders: Facilitates partnerships with private or community donors while requiring formal protections to ensure donations align with VA priorities.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- The Department of Veterans Affairs, which gains expanded authority to accept and manage donations.
- Veterans who may benefit from improved facilities.
- Eligible donor entities (such as those referenced in the 2016 Act) that provide contributions.
- Congress, through ongoing reporting requirements.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill maintains federal oversight through required agreements and compliance with existing laws, codes, and standards, without altering constitutional structures or creating new regulatory frameworks. It emphasizes cost neutrality for the federal government on covered projects and integrates new activities into established VA reporting processes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-17: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2026-06-17: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-17 — PDF (6 pages)