The House of Representatives unanimously approved the Common Cents Act, a measure that would end production of the U.S. penny.
In a rare bipartisan vote Monday, Democrats and Republicans backed legislation barring the U.S. Treasury from minting additional one-cent coins. The proposal would also require businesses and individuals accepting cash payments for goods or services to round totals “to the nearest amount divisible by five for the payment or transfer of cash.”
Should the Senate approve the bill, as expected, it would take effect one year later. Lawmakers stressed that pennies already circulating would continue to be accepted as legal tender.
Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan and Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat and the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, led the House effort behind the measure.
The unanimous House action follows the U.S. Mint’s decision to halt new penny production in November 2025. The legislation would make that pause permanent by preventing any future restart of penny manufacturing.
Making the one-cent coin has become increasingly expensive, with production costs having risen to 3.69 cents per penny—well above its face value. In a press release, the Treasury said ending production could save taxpayers $56 million each year.
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The House vote also builds on an earlier directive from President Donald Trump, who instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the beginning of last year to stop making new pennies, describing the practice as “wasteful.”
By May 2025, the Treasury had placed its final order for penny blanks, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for – News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.