I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3694 
To amend title 31, United States Code, to save the American taxpayers 
money by immediately altering the metallic composition of the 5-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 5-cent coin, to require a prompt re-
view and report, with recommendations, for cost-saving 
changes in the metallic content of other circulating 
United States coins, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saving Taxpayer Ex-
penditures by Employing Less Imported Nickel Act’’ or 
the ‘‘STEEL Nickel Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REDUCING THE COST TO TAXPAYERS OF PRO-
DUCING THE NICKLE. 
(a) STEEL NICKELS REQUIRED.—Section 5112 of 
title 31, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘The 5-cent 
coin is an alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent 
nickel. In minting 5-cent coins, the Secretary shall 
use bars that vary not more than 2.5 percent from 
the percent of nickel required.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(w) 5-CENT COIN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The 5-cent coin shall— 
‘‘(A) be produced primarily of steel; and 
‘‘(B) meet such other specifications as the 
Secretary may determine to be appropriate. 
‘‘(2) TREATMENT.—The 5-cent coin shall be 
treated to impart a color to the appearance of the 
coins so that the appearance is similar to 5-cent 
coins produced before the date of the enactment of 
this subsection. 
‘‘(3) BUY AMERICAN STEEL REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, the Secretary shall, in 
minting 5-cent coins, only use steel produced in 
the United States. 
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‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
shall not apply if the Secretary finds, and pub-
lishes in the Federal Register the basis of such 
finding, that— 
‘‘(i) applying subparagraph (A) would 
be inconsistent with the public interest; or 
‘‘(ii) steel is not produced in the 
United States in sufficient and reasonably 
available quantities.’’. 
(b) CONVERSION
TO
NEW
5-CENT
SPECIFICA-
TIONS.—In setting specifications under section 5112(w) of 
title 31, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall not set specifications that would— 
(1) require more than 1 change to coin-accept-
ing and coin-handling equipment to accommodate 
coins produced pursuant to such subsection; 
(2) facilitate or allow the use of a coin with a 
lesser value produced by another country, or the use 
of any token or other easily or regularly produced 
metal device of minimal value, in the place of a cir-
culating coin produced by the Secretary; or 
(3) require changes to coin-accepting or coin- 
handling equipment whatsoever to accommodate 
both coins produced with the new specifications 
under such subsection and coins produced on or be-
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fore the date that is the end of the 90-day period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to all 5-cent coins issued after 
the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. REDUCING THE COST TO TAXPAYERS OF PRO-
DUCING OTHER CIRCULATING COINS WITH-
OUT INTERFERING WITH THE WAY SUCH 
COINS ARE HANDLED BY BUSINESS, GOVERN-
MENT, AND CONSUMERS IN THE COURSE OF 
ORDINARY COMMERCE. 
Before the end of the 180-day period beginning at 
the end of the 90-day period referred to in section 2(b), 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs of the Senate the initial report described in section 
3 of the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity 
Act of 2010. 
Æ 
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