CHIP IN for Veterans Act Extends VA Donation Program to 2031, Adds Minor Construction Projects

The CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025 is tackling infrastructure at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by extending and expanding a key pilot program. This bill, officially the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2025, is designed to make it easier for communities and private donors to pitch in and directly help upgrade VA facilities.

More Time, More Options for VA Upgrades

First, the bill gives the VA five more years to run its donation pilot program. This program, which allows the VA to accept donated facilities and improvements, was set to expire in December 2026. Under the new bill (Section 2), the deadline gets pushed out significantly to December 16, 2031. This extension gives the VA and interested community groups a much longer runway to plan and execute major donation projects, which often require years of coordination.

Second, and perhaps more practically impactful, the bill broadens what the VA can accept as a donation. Previously, the focus was mostly on real property and improvements. The new language explicitly expands this to include a minor construction project or a nonrecurring maintenance project (Section 2). Think of it this way: before, a community group might have been able to donate a whole new wing. Now, they can also donate the cost and labor for something like replacing the HVAC system in an existing clinic, repaving a parking lot, or fixing a leaky roof—the kind of essential, one-off maintenance that often gets deferred in tight federal budgets.

Real-World Impact: Getting Stuff Done

This change is about flexibility and getting things fixed faster. For the average veteran, this could mean a noticeable improvement in the quality of the facilities they use. If a local community group or a large corporation wants to support a VA hospital, they don't have to raise funds for a massive new building; they can target a specific, necessary repair. For example, a local trade union might now be able to donate the labor and materials for a much-needed kitchen renovation at a VA community living center, which would fall under a “minor construction project.”

The bill makes corresponding technical updates to the law to ensure the VA can legally alter, maintain, or design things related to these accepted projects. By explicitly including minor construction and nonrecurring maintenance, the bill ensures the VA has a clearer path to accepting targeted, practical donations that address immediate infrastructure needs, rather than waiting for slow federal appropriation cycles. This is a straightforward win for leveraging community support to improve facilities for those who use them.