CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016
Public Law 114-294 · H.R. 5099 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 16, 2016 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Brad Ashford (D-NE-2)
Cosponsors (4): Rep. Adrian Smith, Rep. David Young,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 or the CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016
(Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year pilot program under which it may accept up to five donations by non-federal entities of: (1) real property that includes a constructed facility or that is to be used as the site of a facility constructed by the entity, and (2) a facility to be constructed by the entity on real property of the VA.
A donation must be: (1) a property for which funds have been appropriated for a VA facility project or a property that is identified as meeting a need of the VA as part of its long-range capital planning process and that is the location for a VA facility project that is included on the Strategic Capital Investment Planning process priority list; and (2) donated pursuant to a formal agreement with the VA for a VA facility project in an amount acceptable to the VA at no additional cost to the federal government.
Such a formal agreement must provide for: (1) the donation of real property that includes a constructed facility; or (2) the construction of a facility on VA real property or on real property donated to the VA by the entity. An agreement that provides for the construction of a facility shall require the entity to:
• conduct all necessary environmental and historic preservation due diligence,
• comply with all local zoning requirements,
• obtain all required construction permits,
• use construction standards required of the VA when designing, repairing, altering, or building the facility, and
• provide the real property, improvements, goods, or services in a manner sufficient to complete the construction at no additional cost to the federal government.
The VA may not: (1) pay rent, usage fees, or any other amounts to an entity for the use or occupancy of real property donated under this bill; and (2) provide funds to help the entity finance, design, or construct such a facility that are in addition to those appropriated for the facility as of the date of the donation agreement.
An entity that: (1) is donating a facility constructed by the entity shall be required to provide other funds in addition to the amounts provided by the VA that are needed to complete construction of the facility; and (2) seeks to donate real property shall submit an application to address needs relating to VA facilities, including health care needs, identified in its Construction and Long-Range Capital Plan in such manner as the VA may require.
The VA shall include in the annual budget submitted to Congress by the President information regarding real property donated under the pilot program and the status of facility projects relating to that property.
The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress every two years until the program ends on the donation agreements under the program.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Veterans' Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 2958Related bill
A bill to establish a pilot program on partnership agreements to construct new facilities for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Dec 16, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-294.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 15, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 12, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 10, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Dec 8, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Dec 7, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5099.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Nov 14, 2016CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 638.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 114-814.
- Sep 21, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 13, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Apr 28, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.