Which congressional organization began official planning for the United States Semiquincentennial in 2016?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission began official planning for America250 in 2016.

The commission is a nonpartisan congressional organization created to coordinate national planning for the 250th anniversary of American independence. Its public-facing identity is commonly associated with the name America250, which appears in programs, branding, and educational initiatives.

The commission’s work follows an earlier federal precedent. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration coordinated the 1976 Bicentennial, while the Semiquincentennial Commission was established decades later for the 2026 observance.

The commission should not be confused with state-level 250th-anniversary bodies or with later White House initiatives. States, cities, museums, and historical organizations may run their own programs, but the congressional commission is the national planning organization named in the federal commemoration’s official structure.