Which U.S. congressional law established the commission that organized the America250 commemoration?

Public Law 114-196 established the commission that organized the America250 commemoration.

Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission through Public Law 114-196, enacted in 2016. The commission was charged with planning and coordinating observances of the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. The law provided the federal statutory foundation for the America250 effort.

Public Law 114-196 is a precise legal designation, not the name of the celebration itself. America250 is the public-facing identity associated with the commission and its supporting nonprofit organization. The White House later created a separate task force in 2025, so the congressional commission and the executive-branch task force should not be treated as identical bodies.

Earlier anniversary legislation created organizations for previous milestones, including the 1976 Bicentennial. Public Law 114-196 belongs specifically to the 250th-anniversary planning process. Its 2016 enactment gave organizers roughly a decade to develop nationwide programs, partnerships, educational projects, and commemorative activities.