Sponsors (16)
The bill modernizes U.S. currency by authorizing a new $250 note and permitting living non‑presidents on currency—providing design flexibility and collector value—while raising risks of taxpayer costs, machine/handling complications, and politicization of who appears on money.
All Americans would be able to use a new $250 Federal Reserve note made available within a year, adding an additional circulating denomination.
The statute allows living, non‑presidential individuals to be honored on U.S. currency and securities, giving the public and Treasury greater flexibility to recognize contemporary figures.
The bill clarifies Treasury authority to consider modern designs, potentially speeding design and commemorative/security decisions by federal agencies.
Mandating living or recently serving political figures (and allowing living individuals) on currency could politicize currency choices, spark partisan controversy, and trigger lobbying over portrait selections.
Taxpayers could bear modest but nontrivial printing, rollout, and administrative costs for creating and implementing a new denomination and design changes.
An uncommon $250 denomination could complicate cash handling, accounting, vending machines and other payment infrastructure, imposing operational frictions for businesses and government operations.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Directs Treasury to print $250 bills with Donald J. Trump's portrait within one year, allows living-person portraits on currency but bars portraits of any current or former U.S. President.
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to print $250 Federal Reserve notes bearing a portrait of Donald J. Trump within one year of enactment, and changes federal law to allow portraits of living persons on U.S. currency while also stating that portraits of any individual who is or has been President are not allowed. It also includes a nonbinding congressional statement favoring $250 Trump bills for the semiquincentennial. The bill does not appropriate funds or specify new funding for printing.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Joe Wilson · Last progress February 27, 2025