Florida forges ahead with Gulf of America legislation

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida is moving toward becoming the first state to pass legislation conforming to the Trump administration’s Gulf of America name switch.

The issue has emerged as a GOP point of pride in the state, where Republicans seek to lead on compliance with the federal designation that some Democrats have contended makes Florida look like a “laughingstock.” State senators advanced a bill Monday requiring Florida agencies and local schools to update geographic materials to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Similar proposals are on the cusp of final passage in the state House.

“As you’ve probably already noticed, apps we use every day have already made the change to Gulf of America,” said state Sen. Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami). “Moving forward, it’s important to update geographic and instructional school materials for Floridians.”

Bridging the gulf: The legislation backed Monday by the Senate’s education budget committee, SB 1058, calls on state agencies, school boards and charter schools to update books and other materials to reflect the Gulf of America change. This policy would be applied to any materials acquired on or after July 1, meaning schools would not have to immediately update all currently used books.

For the 2027-2028 school year, Florida is set to adopt new social studies textbooks, and those would be required to include the Gulf of America.

This measure is similar to a move by Louisiana officials to update state social studies standards starting next year to include the new language. At the same time, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order earlier this month aiming to replace the Gulf of Mexico name in documents, maps and other materials published by state agencies.

The Florida Senate’s bill is scheduled for one additional committee hearing, while a House version, HB 549, is now ready for consideration on the chamber floor. The House bill cleared its last committee last week amid opposition from Democrats, who claim the GOP-dominated Legislature’s Gulf of America bills are “arbitrary” and could ultimately require a fix under a president from a different party. To poke fun at the idea, one state House Democrat filed an amendment to rename Florida roads and other landmarks with Star Wars references in state law, switching “Washington, D.C.,” to the “Galactic Senate” in one instance.

“While right now it’s hot to be Gulf of America … I think we need to prioritize our students being able to function in a world academic market,” said state Rep. Ashley Gantt (D-Miami), who opposed the House legislation.

Republican lawmakers, though, suggest the proposals will “make the Gulf great again.” They downplayed the changes by citing countries that have switched names in the past, with one referencing a quote from the TV show “Seinfeld”: “You’ll most likely know it as Myanmar, but it will always be Burma to me.”

“This isn’t out of the historical norm,” said state Rep. Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville). “It’s consistent with federal law in the form of the executive order. If it changes in the future, it will change again. I don’t understand all the angst.”

Another gulf to cross: Another proposed Gulf of America bill would rename the body of water across 52 Florida statutes.

This legislation, SB 608, is awaiting a final committee hearing in the Senate, while a companion bill, HB 575, is ready to be taken up on the House floor.