Title: Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings Act of 2017
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector

Summary:
Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings Act of 2017
This bill suspends the production of one-cent coins, other than collectible coins, for a 10-year period. The Government Accountability Office shall study the effect of this temporary suspension and report on whether production should remain suspended.
In addition, the bill provides for: (1) modifications to the composition of the five-cent coin; and (2) the replacement, in circulation, of $1 notes with $1 coins.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 759 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 759

To save taxpayers money by improving the manufacturing and distribution 
              of coins and notes, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 29, 2017

 Mr. McCain (for himself and Mr. Enzi) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To save taxpayers money by improving the manufacturing and distribution 
              of coins and notes, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Currency Optimization, Innovation, 
and National Savings Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. SAVING TAXPAYERS MONEY BY SUSPENDING PRODUCTION OF THE PENNY.

    (a) Policy of the United States.--It is the policy of the United 
States that--
            (1) sufficient one-cent coins have already been minted to 
        meet demand;
            (2) taxpayers have been and would continue to lose money 
        producing the one-cent coin; and
            (3) further production of the one-cent coin is not 
        necessary for the next decade.
    (b) Temporary Suspension of Production of the One-Cent Coin.--
Except as provided in subsection (c) and notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cease production 
of any new one-cent coins for the 10-year period beginning on the date 
of enactment of this Act.
    (c) Exception.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        continue to produce one-cent coins as appropriate solely to 
        meet the needs of numismatic collectors of that denomination.
            (2) Sale.--The one-cent coins produced under paragraph (1) 
        shall be sold in accordance with other general provisions 
        governing collectible coins (as opposed to circulating coins).
            (3) Net receipts.--The net receipts from the sale of one-
        cent coins produced under this exception shall equal the total 
        cost of production, including variable costs and the 
        appropriate share of fix costs of production, as determined by 
        the Secretary of the Treasury.
    (d) GAO Study.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
            (1) study the effect of the suspension of production of the 
        one-cent coin; and
            (2) submit to the Committee on the Budget and the Committee 
        on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the 
        Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Financial Services 
        of the House of Representatives a report--
                    (A) on whether production should remain suspended 
                or should be reinstated; and
                    (B) that considers--
                            (i) the net savings to taxpayers from 
                        suspension of production;
                            (ii) whether public demand for one-cent 
                        coins was able to be continuously met during 
                        the period of suspension;
                            (iii) whether public demand for one-cent 
                        coins would likely continue to be met in the 
                        future without new production;
                            (iv) whether the one-cent denomination of 
                        coin should be permanently ended as was the 
                        case with the one-half cent coin; and
                            (v) any other factors that are relevant.
    (e) No Effect on Legal Tender.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
of this section, one-cent coins are legal tender in the United States 
for all debts, public and private, public charges, taxes, and duties, 
regardless of the date of minting or issue.

SEC. 3. SAVING TAXPAYERS MONEY BY CHANGING THE COMPOSITION OF THE 
              NICKEL.

    (a) New Composition Required.--Section 5112 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(w) Composition of Circulating Coins.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the Director of the United States Mint shall modify the 
        composition of the five-cent coin in accordance with a study 
        and analysis conducted by the United States Mint to a variant 
        of cupronickel composition equal to 80 percent copper and 20 
        percent nickel.
            ``(2) Effect.--This subsection shall remain in effect as 
        long as the Director of the United States Mint verifies that 
        the modification described in paragraph (1) will--
                    ``(A) reduce costs to the taxpayer;
                    ``(B) is found to be seamless through test by most 
                coin-acceptors; and
                    ``(C) will have no impact on the public or on 
                stakeholders.
            ``(3) Increase in copper content.--The Director of the 
        United States Mint may increase the percentage of copper and 
        decrease the percentage of nickel in the five-cent coin if--
                    ``(A) the Director of the United States Mint 
                submits to Congress a study on such a modification;
                    ``(B) the Director of the United States Mint makes 
                the findings described in paragraph (2); and
                    ``(C) the 90-day period beginning on the date on 
                which the study is submitted under subparagraph (A) has 
                expired.''.

SEC. 4. SAVING TAXPAYERS MONEY BY REPLACING $1 NOTES WITH $1 COINS.

    (a) In General.--It is the policy of the United States that $1 
coins should replace $1 Federal Reserve notes as the only $1 monetary 
unit issued and circulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System.
    (b) Final Date for Placing $1 Notes Into Circulation.--Beginning on 
the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may not issue $1 
Federal Reserve notes.
    (c) Transition Period.--Before the date described in subsection 
(b), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall ensure 
adequate supplies of $1 coins to meet the demand of such coins on and 
after such date.
    (d) Removal and Destruction of $1 Federal Reserve Notes.--The Board 
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall ensure that all $1 
Federal Reserve notes removed from circulation in accordance with the 
date described in subsection (b) have been destroyed.
    (e) Exception.--Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c), the Board 
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall produce such Federal 
Reserve notes of $1 denomination as the Board of Governors determines 
from time to time are appropriate solely to meet the needs of 
numismatic collectors of that denomination. Such collectible versions 
of $1 Federal Reserve notes shall be sold in accordance with other 
general provisions governing collectible versions of notes.
    (f) No Effect on Legal Tender.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
of this section, $1 Federal Reserve notes are legal tender in the 
United States for all debts, public and private, public charges, taxes, 
and duties, regardless of the date of printing or issue.
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