H.R. 10167 · Passed both chambers · Finance and Financial Sector

Common Cents Act

What it does

Halt Treasury production of the penny for general circulation, preserving only collector coins.
Require rounding of all cash transactions to the nearest five cents, with rounding up or down applied uniformly across sales, transfers, and wage payments.
Authorize Treasury to change the material composition of the nickel to include zinc-core clad construction with an outer nickel layer in addition to traditional copper-nickel alloys.
Direct the Federal Reserve Board to periodically report a strategic plan for handling penny acceptance and deposits at commercial coin terminals.

Official summary

Common Cents Act This bill ends the production of the penny for general circulation, requires rounding to an amount divisible by five for the payment or transfer of cash, and allows the nickel to be composed of different material. The Department of the Treasury must stop producing the penny, except to meet collector needs. The penny shall continue to be legal tender. Any person selling goods or services in a cash transaction, entering into other transfers of cash, or paying cash wages to an employee must round the payment up or down in accordance with the bill. The bill also allows Treasury to discontinue the minting for circulation of any coin if Treasury follows procedures as outlined by the bill, including providing notice and a briefing to Congress. The Federal Reserve Board must periodically report on a strategic plan for the acceptance of penny orders and deposits at commercial coin terminals that provide services under agreements with Federal Reserve banks. Finally, the bill allows for a different material composition of the nickel. In addition to being made from an alloy of copper and nickel, the nickel may also be clad with an inner core of zinc and an outer layer of…

Latest action

Sep 28, 2026: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Committee: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs