H. R. 4875 
One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 
the fourth day of January, two thousand and sixteen 
An Act 
To establish the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States Semiquincentennial 
Commission Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that July 4, 2026, the 250th 
anniversary of the founding of the United States, as marked by 
the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and the historic events 
preceding that anniversary— 
(1) are of major significance in the development of the 
national heritage of the United States of individual liberty, 
representative government, and the attainment of equal and 
inalienable rights; and 
(2) have had a profound influence throughout the world. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to establish a Commis-
sion to provide for the observance and commemoration of the 250th 
anniversary of the founding of the United States and related events 
through local, State, national, and international activities planned, 
encouraged, developed, and coordinated by a national commission 
representative of appropriate public and private authorities and 
organizations. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the 
United States Semiquincentennial Commission established by 
section 4(a). 
(2) PRIVATE
CITIZEN.—The term ‘‘private citizen’’ means 
an individual who is not an officer or employee of— 
(A) the Federal Government; or 
(B) a State or local government. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of the Interior. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a commission, to be 
known as the ‘‘United States Semiquincentennial Commission’’, to 
plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of 
the history of the United States leading up to the 250th anniversary 
of the founding of the United States.
H. R. 4875—2 
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be composed of the 
following members: 
(1) Four members of the Senate, of whom— 
(A) two shall be appointed by the majority leader of 
the Senate; and 
(B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
the Senate. 
(2) Four members of the House of Representatives, of 
whom— 
(A) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
the House of Representatives. 
(3) Sixteen members who are private citizens, of whom— 
(A) four shall be appointed by the majority leader 
of the Senate; 
(B) four shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the Senate; 
(C) four shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives; 
(D) four shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives; and 
(E) one of whom shall be designated by the President 
as the Chairperson. 
(4) The following nonvoting ex officio members: 
(A) The Secretary. 
(B) The Secretary of State. 
(C) The Attorney General. 
(D) The Secretary of Defense. 
(E) The Secretary of Education. 
(F) The Librarian of Congress. 
(G) The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 
(H) The Archivist of the United States. 
(I) The presiding officer of the Federal Council on 
the Arts and the Humanities. 
(c) TERM; VACANCIES.— 
(1) TERM.—A member shall be appointed for the life of 
the Commission. 
(2) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Commission— 
(A) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; 
and 
(B) shall be filled in the same manner as the original 
appointment was made. 
(d) MEETINGS.—All meetings of the Commission shall be con-
vened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to honor 
the historical significance of the building as the site of deliberations 
and adoption of both the United States Declaration of Independence 
and Constitution. 
(e) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the Commission 
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may 
hold hearings. 
SEC. 5. DUTIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall— 
(1) prepare an overall program for commemorating the 
250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and 
the historic events preceding that anniversary; and