Note on conflicting metadata
- The initial “Bill Information” line you provided (an Early Childhood audit) does not match the text and committee report included. The official committee report (H. Rept. 119-85) and the bill language reproduced here pertain to H.R. 276 as the “Gulf of America Act” — a bill that renames the Gulf of Mexico. This summary is based on the committee report and bill text in the documents you provided.
Summary: H.R. 276 — “Gulf of America Act”
Purpose
- Permanently rename the body of water currently known as the “Gulf of Mexico” as the “Gulf of America.” The bill codifies a change reflected in Executive Order 14172 (Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness, Jan 20, 2025).
Key provisions
- Section 2(a) — RENAMING: “The Gulf of Mexico shall be known as the ‘Gulf of America.’”
- Section 2(b) — REFERENCES: Any reference in U.S. law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other Federal record to the “Gulf of Mexico” shall be deemed a reference to the “Gulf of America.”
- Section 2(c) — IMPLEMENTATION:
- The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (Chairman), shall oversee implementation of the renaming for Federal documents and maps.
- Heads of Federal agencies must update each agency’s documents and maps to reflect the new name not later than 180 days after enactment.
Who or what would be affected
- Federal agencies and their publications, maps, regulations, and internal/external documents (e.g., NOAA charts, Department of the Interior and commerce materials, laws and regulations that mention the Gulf).
- State and local governments, private mapmakers, chart producers, educational materials, and international bodies would not be mandated by the bill but may choose to update usage for consistency.
- Legal and regulatory citations within U.S. statutes and regulations would be legally interpreted as referencing the new name under the bill’s reference clause.
Procedural history and timeline (selected)
- Introduced in House: Jan 9, 2025, by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–GA).
- Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources and Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries; subcommittee hearing Mar 25, 2025.
- Committee markup and amendment in the nature of a substitute considered Apr 9, 2025; reported (amended) Apr 30, 2025 as H. Rept. 119-85.
- House passage: May 8, 2025 — Passed 211–206 (Roll No. 122).
- Received in Senate and read first time: May 8, 2025; read second time and placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders: May 12, 2025 (Calendar No. 73).
- Administrative implementation requirement: Federal agencies must complete updates within 180 days after enactment.
Other notes and considerations
- The committee report states it includes a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate, but no dollar amounts are provided in the excerpt you supplied. Costs would likely arise from updating maps, regulatory texts, publications, and databases across agencies; the bill directs internal agency compliance but does not appropriate funds.
- The report includes dissenting views and several failed amendments during committee consideration, indicating some controversy in committee.
- The renaming is limited to U.S. government usage; it does not change international or non‑U.S. legal names unless adopted elsewhere.
Sponsors and related measures
- Primary sponsor (House): Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–GA).
- Committee report: H. Rept. 119-85 (Committee on Natural Resources).
- Related/companion: H.Res. 377 (procedural rule for consideration).
