In a move echoing President Trump’s call to “restore names that honor American greatness,” Florida lawmakers took the first legislative steps Tuesday to replace the Gulf of Mexico with the “Gulf of America” in state laws and educational materials.
Three Republican-controlled House and Senate panels approved bills aimed at executing the name change. The proposals would update 52 sections of state laws to reflect the new designation and require county school boards and state agencies to use materials that display the Gulf of America name.
Senator Nick DiCeglie (R-Indian Rocks Beach), the sponsor of one of the bills (SB 608), described the change as “patriotic.”
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“This is just changing the name from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in Florida statutes,” DiCeglie said. “It’s consistent with the federal executive order from President Trump, and it’s as simple as that.”
The measure received a 4-2 vote from the Senate Community Affairs Committee, following a similar approval of HB 575 by the House Government Operations Subcommittee, which passed 13-4. If approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, the changes would take effect on July 1.
Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), whose bill (SB 1058) would require state agencies to update geographic materials, emphasized the importance of accurate nomenclature for future generations.
“We want our kids to have the correct names of everything moving forward, and this is just a way to do that,” Gruters said. The House version of his proposal has been filed by Representative Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami).
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Matthew Grocholske, self-described as a “Floridian with a lot of time on my hands,” questioned the focus on the name change amid other pressing issues like insurance and affordable housing, arguing that the legislative session should prioritize more critical matters than renaming a body of water.
Despite the opposition, Republican Representative Judson Sapp (R-Green Cove Springs) hailed the change as “brave” and a declaration that “America is great.”
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This legislative effort is part of a broader trend among Republican lawmakers to align state policies with President Trump’s directives. Earlier this month, Governor DeSantis issued a state executive order referencing the “Gulf of America” in connection with a winter storm, further fueling the debate over the renaming initiative.
As the legislative session unfolds, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will continue to debate the merits of the proposed name change, with proponents arguing that it reinforces a renewed sense of American patriotism, and opponents warning that it diverts attention from more urgent issues. Further updates are expected as the bills progress through the Legislature.
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