Which U.S. law established the federal commission for America's 250th anniversary?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 established the federal commission for America's 250th anniversary.

President Barack Obama signed the law on July 22, 2016. Its purpose was to create a commission responsible for planning, encouraging, developing, and coordinating observances connected with the history of the United States leading to its 250th anniversary.

The commission was designed to bring together members of Congress, private citizens, and federal officials. Its work includes encouraging national and local commemorations, emphasizing historically significant places, and coordinating with organizations involved in the 2026 observance.

The act is sometimes confused with the 2020 amendments that changed aspects of the commission's structure and powers. The original law remains the founding statute for the federal America250 planning body. It is Public Law 114-196 and began the formal federal planning process a decade before the anniversary date.