CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016

Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 or the CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a pilot program under which it may accept up to five donations from specified 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.

The VA may accept such a donation only if the property is: (1) a property for which funds have been appropriated for a VA facility project, or (2) identified both as meeting a VA need as part of its long-range capital planning process and as the location for a VA facility project that is included on the Strategic Capital Investment Planning process priority list in the most recent budget submitted by the President. Also, the entity must agree to:

• independently donate the real property, improvements, goods, or services for the VA facility project in an amount acceptable to the VA and at no additional cost to the federal government;
• conduct all necessary environmental and historic preservation due diligence;
• comply with all local zoning requirements (except for federally required studies and consultations);
• obtain all permits required in connection with the construction of the facility;
• use construction standards required of the VA when designing and building the facility; and
• provide the real property, improvements, goods, or services in a manner sufficient to complete the construction of the facility, at no additional cost to the federal government.

The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress, at least biennially, on the donation arrangements entered into under the pilot program.

The VA's authority to accept donations under the program shall terminate five years after the date of this bill's enactment.