FLORIDA - Florida lawmakers are pushing forward a bill that would require the state to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” in official documents and public school materials, following a federal executive order issued by former President Donald Trump.
Senate Bill 1058, introduced by Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), recently passed through the Florida Senate Rules Committee.
If signed into law, it would mandate that all newly adopted school resources reflect the updated terminology beginning July 1st.
Existing materials would not need to be revised, but future instructional content and official state agency documents would adopt the new name.
The measure has drawn criticism from some lawmakers. Sen. Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton) questioned the need for the change, calling it a waste of legislative time and noting that no previous president has attempted to rename major geographical features.
Gruters defended the initiative by asserting that the updated name better aligns with national interests, stating, “We want our kids to have the correct names of everything moving forward.”
A matching bill in the Florida House, HB 549, is sponsored by Reps. Juan Porras and Tyler Sirois.
Both bills are in line with Executive Order 14172, signed by Trump, which officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico at the federal level.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has already begun updating its maps and agency documents to reflect the change.
The name “Gulf of America” would apply to divisions involving marine fisheries, law enforcement, and boating programs along Florida’s west coast.