Committee advances bill to rename Gulf of Mexico as ‘Gulf of America’; amendment limits school change

Representative Standridge introduced HB247, which would change state references to the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” and add protections to limit financial burdens on state and local entities.

The bill drew objections from several committee members who said the proposed name change would raise legal, international and logistical questions and divert attention from other priorities. Representative Rolanda Hollis called the proposal “a waste of our time,” citing needs such as hunger and homelessness. Representative Clark asked whether the sponsor considered a nonbinding resolution rather than a statutory change. Representative Travis and others raised concerns about costs and implications for long-established records and oil-and-gas operations tied to the current name.

Standridge said an executive order at the federal level and changes by private firms were precedent and that states considering the same change made legislative action appropriate. Representative Lipscomb supported a statutory change, saying departments told him legislation was needed to ensure uniform terminology across maps, documents and official communications.

Committee members considered and adopted an amendment that: designates the act’s short title as the “Gulf Of America Act”; provides that, for state purposes, references to the Gulf of Mexico shall be deemed references to the Gulf of America; allows public K–12 schools and public institutions of higher education to use the term “Gulf of Mexico” within academic instruction for historical purposes; and states that compliance that would impose an operational or financial burden on a state or local entity would be addressed. The amendment also set the act’s effective date to Oct. 1, 2025.

After adoption of the amendment, the committee voted to give HB247 a favorable report. The roll call recorded ayes from Representatives Brown, Lipscomb, Collins, Givens, Kiel, Kirkland, Lomax, Marcus and Simpson; no votes from Representatives Clark, Hassell, Hollis and Travis. The clerk announced that “the ayes have it,” and the bill received a favorable report.

The record does not show a roll-call vote from Representative Hosey. The committee did not adopt further technical or policy changes on the record; the amendment as adopted remains the principal change noted in committee.

The bill will move forward with the committee’s favorable report; further action and any additional amendments are subject to later legislative steps.