United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016
Public Law 114-196 · H.R. 4875 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jul 22, 2016 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA-7)
Cosponsors (4): Rep. Robert Brady, Rep. Brendan Boyle,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016
(Sec. 4) This bill establishes the United States Semiquincentennial Commission to plan, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of U.S. history leading up to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
(Sec. 5) The Commission shall: (1) prepare an overall program for the commemoration; (2) plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate observances and activities commemorating the historic events associated with the Semiquincentennial; (3) emphasize the planning of events in locations of historical significance to the United States; and (4) give special emphasis to the role of persons and locations with significant impact on U.S. history beginning on the date of execution of the Declaration of Independence and to the ideas associated with that history.
(Sec. 6) The Department of the Interior shall study and report to the Commission on appropriate actions that might be taken to further preserve and develop historic sites and battlefields to ensure that fitting observances and exhibits may be held at such sites during the celebration.
The Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Archives shall cooperate with the Commission. The Secretary of State shall coordinate the participation of foreign nations in the celebration.
Interior shall, through a competitive process, seek to enter into an arrangement with a nonprofit organization, the mission of which is consistent with the purpose of this bill, under which such nonprofit shall:
• serve as the secretariat of the Commission;
• house the administrative offices of the Commission;
• assume responsibility for funds of the Commission; and
• provide to the Commission financial and administrative services related to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, personnel, and procurement.
(Sec. 10) The Commission shall terminate on December 31, 2027.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 2815Identical billRelated bill
United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Jul 22, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-196.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 14, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 13, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 12, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 6, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Jul 5, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4875.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Chaffetz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 23, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.