What federal commission did Congress create to plan the U.S. 250th anniversary?

Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission to plan and coordinate the federal commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.

The commission was established by the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016, signed by President Barack Obama. It was charged with developing recommendations and organizing a nationwide observance of the 250th anniversary of independence in 2026.

Its membership combines members of Congress, private citizens, and federal officials. The commission’s work includes coordinating with government agencies, states, communities, historic sites, and private partners. The American Battlefield Trust was selected to serve as its administrative secretariat, helping provide organizational and fundraising support.

The commission is closely associated with the America250 name and the America250 Foundation, but those are not interchangeable names for the federal body itself. The 1776 Commission was a separate advisory initiative created by executive order in 2020, not the congressional commission established to plan the semiquincentennial.