Sponsors (4)
The bill strengthens taxpayer protections, machine-compatibility safeguards, transparency, and PAYGO scoring clarity for coin-design and budget changes, but does so by adding review steps and rigid scoring rules that can delay savings, increase administrative burdens, and introduce political or accuracy risks.
Taxpayers: The Mint must certify that any coin composition change will reduce taxpayer costs before it can be implemented, protecting public funds from costly changes.
Taxpayers and the public: Congress retains an explicit oversight role and can block proposed changes during a 90-legislative-day review via joint resolution, increasing democratic accountability over coin-design decisions.
Small businesses and consumers using coin-operated machines: Design-change rules require 'seamless' physical and electronic compatibility (diameter/weight and electromagnetic acceptors), reducing the risk of disruption to vending, transit, and other coin-operated services.
Taxpayers: The 90-legislative-day waiting period can delay implementation of cost-saving coin changes, keeping taxpayers on the hook for higher production costs for longer.
Small businesses, financial institutions, and consumers: If 'seamless' criteria fail in practice, some coin acceptors could reject new coins, imposing hidden costs for reprogramming or replacing equipment.
Taxpayers: Congressional review creates political risk that a disapproval could block technically sound changes intended to save money, preventing implementation of beneficial reforms.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes the Mint Director to change circulating coin metal composition if a study shows cost savings and compatibility, subject to 90 legislative-day notice and congressional disapproval.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Mark E. Amodei · Last progress February 13, 2025
Authorizes the Director of the U.S. Mint, after consulting with the Treasury Secretary and conducting a study with industry input, to change the metal composition of circulating coins if the change reduces taxpayer costs and is "seamless" (same diameter and weight and interoperable with most electromagnetic coin acceptors). The Director must give Congress at least 90 legislative days' notice with justification, cost estimates, and certifications; the change cannot take effect during that period unless Congress fails to pass a disapproval resolution. Specifies that budgetary effects for PAYGO compliance will be determined by a statement submitted to the Congressional Record by the House Budget Committee chairman before the vote on passage.