Which congressional commission was established in 2016 to plan the America250 celebration?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was established in 2016 to plan the America250 celebration.

Congress created the commission a decade before the anniversary so national planning could begin well ahead of July 4, 2026. Its work concerns commemorating the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s 250-year history through educational, cultural, and civic activities.

The commission is commonly associated with the America250 brand, which gives the commemoration a shorter public name. The formal commission title identifies the specific milestone: the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary.

This organization should not be confused with the United States Bicentennial celebrations of 1976. The Bicentennial marked 200 years and involved a different national planning effort. Nor is the commission the same thing as the Second Continental Congress, which existed during the Revolutionary War and adopted the Declaration in 1776.