Don Bacon: “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…”

“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.”