Summary

Renames the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” in all U.S. laws, federal maps, regulations, and records and directs the Secretary of the Interior (through the Board on Geographic Names) to oversee the change. Federal agency heads must update their documents and maps to reflect the new name within 180 days of enactment, and any existing reference to the Gulf of Mexico in U.S. law or records is to be treated as a reference to the Gulf of America.

• Changes the official U.S. name from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.”
• Treats existing legal and regulatory references to the Gulf of Mexico as references to the Gulf of America to preserve continuity.
• Assigns the Secretary of the Interior (via the Board on Geographic Names) to oversee federal updates to maps and documents.
• Requires each federal agency to update its documents and maps within 180 days after enactment.
• Does not change maritime boundaries, jurisdiction, or substantive legal rights tied to the body of water.
• Applies to federal laws, maps, regulations, and records; nonfederal entities are not mandated to change but may choose to follow federal usage.
• Creates a short-term administrative burden for federal agencies to locate and revise references in many products and systems.
• Provides legal continuity by directing that prior references be read as references to the new name.
• Implementation may cause temporary public or private confusion while documents and maps are updated.