The Treasury Department office responsible for printing the nation’s money “is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence” in response to proposed legislation that would allow President Donald Trump to appear on a $250 bill.

Trump administration officials have been pushing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototype designs for a commemorative $250 note featuring the president’s portrait — a move that would mark the first appearance of a living person on U.S. paper currency in more than 150 years, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The proposal is tied to upcoming celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary in July and reflects Trump’s broader effort to leave a lasting imprint on U.S. institutions and patriotic commemorations.

The report said U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown repeatedly encouraged bureau staff to move forward with mock-up designs despite longstanding federal laws prohibiting living individuals from appearing on American currency.

One proposed design reviewed by the Post reportedly places Trump’s portrait prominently at the center of the bill, flanked by the signatures of Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

British artist Iain Alexander, who said he created the mock-up after discussions with Trump, told the paper the president personally approved modifications to the design, including patriotic red, white, and blue accents and a logo honoring America’s semiquincentennial celebration.

“He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said of Trump’s reaction.

Current federal law presents significant hurdles.

The 1866 Thayer Amendment bars living people from appearing on U.S. paper currency after a Treasury official famously placed his own image on a banknote during the Civil War era.

The restriction grew partly out of America’s rejection of monarch-style traditions common in Europe, where reigning kings and queens routinely appeared on currency.

Still, Congress could override those restrictions through legislation.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced a bill earlier this year directing the Treasury Department to create a $250 Federal Reserve note featuring Trump’s image, though the measure has not yet advanced.

Treasury officials emphasized no bill would be printed unless Congress formally authorizes it.

“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” a Treasury spokesperson said.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration also prepares to issue U.S. currency bearing Trump’s signature for the first time.

In March, The New York Times reported Trump’s signature would appear on U.S. paper money later this year alongside Bessent’s name.

Supporters argue the effort appropriately honors Trump’s role in what allies call America’s “Golden Age economic revival,” while critics claim the move risks politicizing national symbols.

Currency experts caution the process could take years because of security requirements, Federal Reserve coordination, and ATM compatibility testing.

Still, administration officials appear eager to move forward as preparations intensify for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.