CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025

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. 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. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing

H.R. 217, the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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.

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.

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. 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. Speaker, once again, I encourage all of our Members to support H.R. 217, and I yield back the balance of my time.