Congress established the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission in 2016 to plan America250, the 250th-anniversary commemoration of American independence.
The commission was created by Public Law 114-196, which directed it to plan and develop programs for the anniversary. Its work focused on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and aimed to involve communities across the United States.
The commission’s creation came well before the anniversary year, reflecting the scale of a nationwide commemoration. It is distinct from the 1976 celebrations: those marked the bicentennial, or 200th anniversary. America250 uses the semiquincentennial milestone, while the 2016 law supplied the federal planning framework.