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119-s-1554119th CongressWALLET

Make Sense Not Cents Act

Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

Introduced

Summary

Ends production of the U.S. one-cent coin. The Make Sense Not Cents Act would prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from minting or issuing new 1-cent coins and would revise related sections of Title 31 and the Internal Revenue Code to reflect that change while preserving existing pennies as legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and duties regardless of mint date.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Treasury would stop minting pennies

If enacted, the Secretary of the Treasury would be prohibited from minting or issuing any new one-cent coins. Existing pennies would remain legal tender for all debts, public and private, and for taxes and duties no matter when they were made. The change would take effect upon enactment. You could keep and use pennies already in your wallet. Any savings from stopping penny production would be small and would happen over time.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

OR • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 5/1/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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