Representative Barbara Lee introduced the bill behind the 2026 United States Semiquincentennial coin redesigns.
Lee, a Democrat from California, introduced the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 on March 27, 2020. Congress later enacted the measure, which authorized special designs for circulating coins during the semiquincentennial period.
The law covered six denominations and specifically provided for five quarter-dollar designs. It also required the designs to be symbolic of the anniversary, including one quarter depicting women’s contributions to independence.
Introducing a bill is different from selecting the final artwork. The legislation assigned the ultimate design-selection role to the Treasury secretary, after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Thus, Lee sponsored the legislation but did not individually choose every coin image.