Overview
- The House passed the bipartisan Common Cents Act in a unanimous vote Monday to block routine production of pennies and establish a national rule for rounding cash payments.
- The bill would require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents while card and other electronic payments remain exact to the cent.
- Existing pennies would remain legal tender and the law would require cash wages that do not divide evenly by five cents to be rounded up.
- Because the House and Senate passed different versions earlier, lawmakers must reconcile the texts and pass an identical measure before President Trump can sign it into law.
- The change follows the Mint stopping penny production in November 2025 and aims to save material costs; the bill also directs Treasury to study effects on low-income, elderly and unbanked people and to explore cheaper materials for the nickel.