Which federal body was created in 2016 to plan the United States’ 250th anniversary, America250?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was created in 2016 to plan America250.

Congress established the commission through the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act. Its purpose was to help organize and promote national observances for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

The commission is a federal body with members appointed from congressional and executive-branch leadership. It works with a nonprofit partner, America250, to support programs, public participation, educational initiatives, and commemorative events across the country.

The commission’s name uses “semiquincentennial,” the formal word for a 250th anniversary. It should not be confused with the American Revolution’s historical Continental Congress, which operated in the eighteenth century, or with the National Archives, which preserves the original Declaration and other founding documents.