Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed two bills aimed at carrying out President Donald Trump’s directive to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, according to the Florida Senate.
One of the bills (HB 575) will change dozens of state laws to reflect the name change. The other (HB 549) will require state agencies to update “geographic materials” to reflect the change. Also, school instructional materials adopted or purchased as of July 1 include the Gulf of America name.
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The Republican-controlled Senate passed the bills last week, after they had been approved by the House.
“These bills, now Florida law, ensure we reflect that fact across state government and, most importantly, in our schools. It is our responsibility to ensure our children understand American greatness," Sen. Joe Gruters, who sponsored the education-related measure through the Senate, said in a statement.
The change makes Florida the first state to legally recognize the change.
The Senate issued a news release early Monday evening, with Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, saying he was among the lawmaker joining DeSantis to see the bills signed.
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“Florida is proud to follow the leadership of President Trump as the first state to officially recognize the Gulf of America,” DiCeglie, who sponsored one of the bills in the Senate, said in the statement.
“American exceptionalism isn’t an abstract idea, it is an absolute fact that we must recognize and celebrate. In Florida, we will always put America first.”
