I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3693 

To amend title 31, United States Code, to save the American taxpayers 

money by immediately altering the metallic composition of the 1-cent 

coin, to require a prompt review and report, with recommendations, 

for cost-saving changes in the metallic content of other circulating United 

States coins, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 15, 2011 

Mr. STIVERS (for himself, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, and Mr. TIBERI) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 31, United States Code, to save the American 

taxpayers money by immediately altering the metallic 

composition of the 1-cent coin, to require a prompt review and report, with recommendations, for cost-saving 

changes in the metallic content of other circulating 

United States coins, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cents and Sensibility 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REDUCING THE COST TO TAXPAYERS OF PRO2 DUCING THE PENNY. 

3 (a) STEEL PENNIES REQUIRED.—Subsection (c) of 

4 section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended 

5 to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(c) 1-CENT COIN.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The 1-cent coin shall— 

8 ‘‘(A) be produced primarily of steel; and 

9 ‘‘(B) meet such other specifications as the 

10 Secretary may determine to be appropriate, in11 cluding any change in the weight from that 

12 specified in subsection (a)(6). 

13 ‘‘(2) TREATMENT.—The 1-cent coin shall be 

14 treated to impart a copper color to the appearance 

15 of the coins so that the appearance is similar to 1- 

16 cent coins produced of copper-plated zinc before the 

17 date of the enactment of this subsection. 

18 ‘‘(3) BUY AMERICAN STEEL REQUIREMENT.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

20 other provision of law, the Secretary shall, in 

21 minting 1-cent coins, only use steel produced in 

22 the United States. 

23 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph (A) 

24 shall not apply if the Secretary finds, and pub25 lishes in the Federal Register the basis of such 

26 finding, that— 


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1 ‘‘(i) applying subparagraph (A) would 

2 be inconsistent with the public interest; or 

3 ‘‘(ii) steel is not produced in the 

4 United States in sufficient and reasonably 

5 available quantities.’’. 

6 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

7 subsection (a) shall apply to all 1-cent coins issued after 

8 the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the 

9 enactment of this Act. 

10 SEC. 3. REDUCING THE COST TO TAXPAYERS OF PRO11 DUCING OTHER CIRCULATING COINS WITH12 OUT INTERFERING WITH THE WAY SUCH 

13 COINS ARE HANDLED BY BUSINESS, GOVERN14 MENT, AND CONSUMERS IN THE COURSE OF 

15 ORDINARY COMMERCE. 

16 Before the end of the 180-day period beginning at 

17 the end of the 90-day period referred to in section 2(b), 

18 the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the Com19 mittee on Financial Services of the House of Representa20 tives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 

21 Affairs of the Senate the initial report described in section 

22 3 of the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity 

23 Act of 2010. 

Æ 


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