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.
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Lucas introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
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 derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
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
Likely Beneficiaries
- U.S. Treasury
- Taxpayers
- Zinc Industry
- Retail Sector
- Coin Collectors
Likely Burden Bearers
- Copper Industry
- Nickel Mining Industry
- Cash-Dependent Businesses
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