H. R. 5099 

One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the fourth day of January, two thousand and sixteen 

An Act 

To establish a pilot program on partnership agreements to construct new facilities 

for the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 

2016’’ or the ‘‘CHIP IN for Vets 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. 

(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 described in subsection 

(a)(1) under the pilot program only if— 

(1) the property is— 
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(A) a property with respect to which funds have been 

appropriated for a Department facility project; or 

(B) a property 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, 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 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. 

(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. 

(B) The entity shall use construction standards 

required of the Department when designing, repairing, 

altering, 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, 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.— 
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(1) FROM DEPARTMENT.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not provide funds 

to help the entity finance, design, or construct a facility 

in connection with real property and improvements donated 

under the pilot program by an entity described in subsection (a)(2) that are in addition to the funds appropriated 

for the facility 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) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The Secretary shall provide funds pursuant to subparagraph (A) 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 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 the date 

that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

(j) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 

construed as a limitation on the authority of the Secretary to 
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enter into other arrangements or agreements that are authorized 

by law and not inconsistent with this section. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.