H.R. 1931 is called the “Catherine Skivers Currency for All Act.” No, it’s not some welfare program – that would be the “Cash for All Act.” It’s about the design of our paper currency.

Catherine Skivers is a former president of the California Council for the Blind and a constituent of Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), who introduced the bill. Lucky thing for Stark, she’s in favor of it. What a relief!

Stark’s proposal would round all four corners on the $1 bill, three corners on the $2 bill, cut two diagonal corners on the $5 bill, two corners on a long side of the $10 bill, two corners on the $20 bill’s short side and one corner on the $50 bill. The $100 bill would remain unchanged. (Four square corners? Big money!)

The bill responds to a court ruling that paper money discriminates against blind people because they can’t distinguish among different denominations.

Slam dunk, right? Not so fast.

Here’s the National Federation of the Blind:

Hundreds of thousands of blind people use paper money every day without difficulty. Identifying items by touch (including currency) is convenient, but not essential to the ability of blind people to participate fully in society. For a court to say that if we cannot identify it by touch, we can’t use it is a fiction and a dangerous one. Millions of items that cannot be identified by touch must be managed by the blind in business, industry, and education every day; if the public comes to believe the myth that we cannot manage those items, then we will be denied the equality and opportunity we seek.

Special treatment with regard to currency will reinforce stereotypes about the blind being unable to navigate the society. It’s a fair point, and I have no idea which side is right or wrong on this. What this proves is that anything and everything can be made controversial if you just take it to Washington, D.C.

There will be a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology (affectionately known as the “DIMP” subcommittee) on Wednesday.

Here’s the current vote on the bill. Click to vote, comment, learn more, or edit the wiki article on the bill: