The humble American penny is moving closer to becoming a piece of history rather than a routine part of everyday commerce.
The House of Representatives has advanced legislation that would permanently end the production of pennies for general circulation while establishing a nationwide system for rounding certain cash purchases to the nearest nickel. The measure, known as the Common Cents Act, is now headed back to the Senate for further consideration.
The House approved H.R. 10167 on September 14 by voice vote under suspension of the rules. Because lawmakers used a voice vote rather than a recorded roll call, there is no individual vote tally showing which members voted for or against the measure.
The legislation was introduced by House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan, with Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California serving as its sole listed cosponsor. The bipartisan sponsorship underscores that the future of the one-cent coin has attracted support across party lines.
