House Passes Bill to End Production of U.S. Penny
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The House approved the Common Cents Act, which would halt minting of the one-cent coin and require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents, saving the Treasury an estimated $56 million annually.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve the bipartisan Common Cents Act, which would stop the minting of new one-cent coins except for collector items and establish a framework for rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents. The legislation includes an exception for cash wages, which would be rounded up when the total is not divisible by five cents, while existing pennies would remain legal tender.
According to a Treasury press release, the measure could save the government about $56 million each year because the cost of producing pennies has risen to more than three times their face value. The bill also permits the Mint to manufacture nickels using less expensive materials.
The act was sponsored by House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan and Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. It directs the Treasury to monitor the impact of the rounding rules on low-income households, seniors, and other vulnerable groups.
If signed into law, the legislation would prevent future administrations from reversing the decision, even though the Mint had already ceased regular penny production in November 2025 after more than two centuries of circulation.