Bill · H.R. 10167· House(119-HR-10167)
Common Cents Act
- Introduced
- 8/27/2026
- Last activity
- 9/28/2026 — Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Sponsored by
- Lisa McClain
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
What this bill would do
This bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to stop minting the one-cent coin for general circulation, though existing pennies remain legal tender. It allows cash transactions to be rounded up or down to the nearest five cents when exact change is not available. The legislation also sets rules for rounding cash payments made by employers to employees, requiring them to round up to the nearest five cents if they choose to round. Furthermore, the bill protects people and businesses from violating federal, state, or tribal laws when they follow these new cash rounding rules. Finally, it requires reports and strategic plans from the Federal Reserve and the Secretary of the Treasury regarding coin distribution and potential impacts on vulnerable communities.
Yes· 3 of 7
Would business owners be better off under this?+2
Reduces the administrative burden and cost of managing pennies in cash transactions.
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?+1
Ceasing penny production likely reduces government costs associated with minting coins that cost more to produce than their face value.
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?+1
Eliminating the production of pennies reduces expenditures by the U.S. Mint.
The opposite
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-1
Low-income individuals using cash may face slightly higher costs due to rounding up on small transactions.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 2(bb) stops the production of new pennies for circulation, which could save taxpayer money on coin manufacturing costs.
-
Section 3(b) allows rounding that is always in favor of the customer during cash transactions, meaning businesses can round down when a customer pays in cash or round up when the business pays a customer in cash.
-
Section 3(c) ensures that if an employer chooses to round a cash payment to an employee, they must round up to the nearest five cents, protecting workers from losing money on uneven cash pay amounts.
-
Section 5(a)(4) requires a specific assessment by the Secretary of the Treasury regarding the impact of penny shortages and rounding on low-income, older, unbanked, and underbanked individuals, which helps hold officials accountable for protecting vulnerable populations.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 3(a) allows cash transactions to be rounded up to the nearest five cents in certain situations, which could result in consumers paying slightly more out of pocket when using cash if exact change is not available.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Fiscal Responsibility+1Improves Small Business Support+1Reduces Government Spending+1Reduces National Debt+1
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+2Good For Retirees+1Good For Seniors+1Good For Low Income Households-1
- Enrolled Bill
The final version, on its way to the President
What changed from Referred in Senate: No change to the wording. Only the printed details that record the bill’s progress, such as the heading and dates, are different.
- 9/28/2026
- Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5120)
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- 9/15/2026
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 9/14/2026
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5599-5601)
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5599-5602)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 10167.
- Ms. De La Cruz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- 8/27/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Robert GarciaDemocrat · California