To amend title 31 to permit an alternative composition of the 5-cent coin and to eliminate the one-cent coin, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Modernize and Improve our National Tender Act (MINT Act) of 2025 makes two key changes to U.S. currency:
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Eliminates the penny: The U.S. Mint will stop producing one-cent coins for general circulation, though they can still make them for coin collectors. Existing pennies remain legal tender.
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Modernizes the nickel: Allows the five-cent coin to be made with a zinc core and nickel coating (instead of solid copper-nickel alloy) if it saves money on production.
Who Benefits and How
- U.S. Treasury/Taxpayers: Saves money by eliminating the penny (which costs more to produce than it's worth) and allows cheaper nickel production
- Zinc industry: Increased demand for zinc as the primary material for nickels
- Retail businesses: Eliminates penny handling costs and register time
- Coin collectors: Pennies become collectible numismatic items
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Copper industry: Reduced demand as nickel composition shifts away from copper
- Nickel mining industry: Potential reduction in nickel demand if zinc becomes primary component
- Cash-heavy businesses: Must adjust pricing and rounding practices
- Consumers: Potential for minor price rounding (up or down) affecting small cash transactions
Key Provisions
- Section 1: Short title establishing the "MINT Act of 2025"
- Section 2: Amends 31 U.S.C. 5112 to:
- Allow 5-cent coins weighing 4-6 grams with zinc core and nickel outer layer
- Requires Secretary of Treasury testing to confirm cost savings
- Mandates cessation of one-cent coin production
- Preserves existing one-cent coins as legal tender
- Permits continued production of one-cent coins for numismatic (collector) sales only
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The MINT Act of 2025 modernizes U.S. coinage by eliminating one-cent coin production (allowing only numismatic sales) and permitting an alternative zinc-nickel composition for five-cent coins to reduce production costs.
Key Policy Areas
Finance, Government Operations
Primary Purpose
The MINT Act of 2025 modernizes U.S. coinage by eliminating one-cent coin production (allowing only numismatic sales) and permitting an alternative zinc-nickel composition for five-cent coins to reduce production costs.
Policy Domains
MINT Act of 2025 — Currency Modernization
Identified Gains
- U.S. Treasury
- Taxpayers
- Zinc Industry
- Retail Sector
- Coin Collectors
Identified Costs
- Copper Industry
- Nickel Mining Industry
- Cash-Dependent Businesses
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Lucas introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Copper mining and processing companies, Nickel mining and processing companies, Zinc mining and processing companies
Positive-direction: Zinc mining and processing companies
Negative-direction: Copper mining and processing companies, Nickel mining and processing companies
Coin-operated machine operators (vending, parking, laundry)
Coin collectors and numismatists
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Treasury
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology