WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 14, 2026) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3074, the bipartisan Common Cents Act, legislation that modernizes the nation’s coinage system by formally suspending production of the penny while taking critical steps to preserve the future of cash transactions through a lower-cost five-cent coin.

The legislation maintains the penny as legal tender, allowing Americans to continue using existing pennies in everyday commerce. It also gives merchants the option to round the final total of cash transactions to the nearest nickel, while preserving exact pricing for electronic payments.

Importantly, the legislation addresses the growing financial threat posed by the nation’s five-cent coin by authorizing the U.S. Treasury Department to produce a lower-cost, zinc-based nickel. According to the U.S. Mint’s most recent Annual Report, the government now loses approximately 13.3 cents to manufacture every nickel—more than two and a half times its face value.

“The House has taken an important step toward preserving Americans’ ability to use cash,” said Americans for Common Cents Executive Director Mark Weller. With penny production now ending, demand for nickels will inevitably increase. “If Congress fails to address the nickel’s unsustainable production costs, we risk placing the five-cent coin on the same path as the penny,” Weller added. That would further erode the cash economy and disproportionately affect millions of Americans who continue to rely on cash every day.

Weller noted that Americans for Common Cents has evolved from its original mission of preserving the penny to advocating for policies that ensure Americans continue to have access to an efficient, affordable cash payment system.

H.R. 3074 recognizes that modernizing our coinage system should strengthen—not weaken—the role of cash. “Providing Treasury with the flexibility to produce a lower-cost nickel is a fiscally responsible reform that could eliminate tens of millions of dollars in annual losses while helping ensure that coins remain available for consumers and businesses that depend on them,” Weller said.

Americans for Common Cents urged the Senate to act promptly on the legislation, emphasizing that modernizing coin production while maintaining a robust cash economy enjoys broad bipartisan support and represents sound fiscal stewardship.