🔍How this was checked: The bot searched the web, cross-referenced 4 sources, and assessed each claim individually.
The claim is accurate. Under 31 U.S.C. § 5114(b), only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on U.S. currency and securities. Changing this restriction would require an act of Congress, which aligns with recent reporting that legislation is being considered to allow a living person (Donald Trump) to appear on a proposed $250 commemorative bill.
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Claim by claim
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Printing currency with a living person's face on it is not currently authorized by U.S. lawTrue. 31 U.S.C. § 5114(b) explicitly states: 'Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.' This has been the law since its codification, with roots in an 1866 statute (the Thayer Amendment) passed after a Treasury official put his own portrait on a banknote.
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Printing currency with a living person's face must be approved by CongressTrue. Because the restriction is codified in federal statute (31 U.S.C. § 5114), it can only be changed through legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President. Multiple news outlets (PBS, CNN, NYT, CBS) reported on May 28, 2026, that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged proposed legislation is pending in Congress to allow a living person on a new $250 bill.
Caveats
The Secretary of the Treasury has broad discretion under 31 U.S.C. § 5114 to determine which deceased individuals' portraits appear on currency, but this discretion does not extend to living persons. Some fact-checkers have noted that the ban on living persons applies specifically to paper currency and securities, not coins, though the post's claim about 'currency' broadly is still accurate for banknotes.
Posted on Bluesky
True. Under 31 U.S.C. § 5114(b), only deceased individuals may appear on U.S. paper currency and securities. Because this restriction is federal law, allowing a living person on a bill requires new legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President.