DEPOTS Act

S. 5349 would authorize the Secretary of Defense to eliminate certain internal Department of Defense accounting entries — specifically, depreciated costs and internal debts on the books of a military department or the Department related to depots and arsenals. These entries apply to capital expenditures that no longer generate revenue because the underlying mission has changed. In practice, this means clearing outdated financial obligations that currently sit on internal DoD ledgers but no longer reflect an active, revenue-generating purpose.

The bill primarily affects internal Department of Defense financial management and accounting practices, particularly as they relate to depots and arsenals — military facilities that maintain, repair, or manufacture equipment. It would not appear to directly affect the general public; rather, it concerns how the Pentagon and individual military departments manage their internal books when a facility's mission changes and past capital investments stop producing revenue.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 6, 2026, by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). As of the latest action, it has only been introduced — its most recent status update, also dated August 6, 2026, simply reflects that introduction. The full text of the bill has not yet been published, so specific implementation details, dollar amounts, or affected accounts are not yet available. Typically, a next step would involve committee referral and review, though no such action has been recorded yet.

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