Dive Brief:
- The Common Cents Act, which gives merchants a legal framework for rounding to the nearest nickel amid a dearth of pennies, passed the Senate on Monday night and heads to President Donald Trump.
- The bipartisan bill — which also formally ends U.S. Mint production of the penny — represents a victory for merchants that had sought federal guidance on how to more efficiently handle cash transactions as pennies gradually fade from circulation. The measure doesn’t apply to electronic transactions.
- Difficulty obtaining pennies has posed a challenge to grocers in handling SNAP transactions because, under equal treatment provisions, retailers cannot charge shoppers who use food assistance benefits a different price than other consumers.
Dive Insight:
The legislation had two votes in both the House and Senate due to an amendment added in the Senate version when that chamber endorsed the bill in August. That set up a second House vote earlier this month, followed by the second Senate ratification on Monday.
In an emailed statement Tuesday, Dylan Jeon, vice president of government relations for the National Retail Federation, praised passage of the bill as “a solution to a real problem for retailers,” and said the legislation “provides much-needed consistency for both businesses and consumers.”
The association also urged Trump to “sign this bill into law without delay.”
The National Grocers Association, which had pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow retailers to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel, also hailed passage of the bill.
“Independent grocers process millions of transactions every day, and the disappearance of the penny created a very practical problem at the checkout counter,” NGA Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs Stephanie Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday. “We appreciate the bipartisan leadership in the Senate to advance a commonsense solution that gives businesses clear rules and helps minimize confusion for consumers.”
The House bill was cosponsored by Michigan Republican Rep. Lisa McClain and Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California. The Senate version was sponsored by Sens. Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
In a Tuesday post on her X social media page, Lummis thanked her current and former Senate colleagues for their support of the bill.
The final batch of pennies was struck last November, nine months after Trump directed the U.S. Treasury to stop making pennies, citing their cost inefficiency. The department estimated $56 million in annual savings by ending penny production. Under the bill, pennies will still be produced as collectible coins.
Beyond its rounding language, the legislation also directs the Treasury Department to explore alternative metal options using zinc instead of copper for the nickel to lower production costs for the 5-cent coin.
The bill first passed by the Senate included an amendment by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren that requires the Treasury Department to notify Congress of any future currency discontinuation, along with a transition plan, according to two retail industry trade associations. That change to the bill set up the subsequent second votes for the House and Senate.
Sam Silverstein contributed reporting.
