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Bill

HR 10186

Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act

119th Congress Introduced by Yassamin Ansari and 25 co-sponsors

Prohibits renaming the Great Lakes and blocks implementing EO 14422, requiring new legislation to change lake names and preventing related federal actions or funding.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 10186

Bill at a glance

  • Bill: H.R.10186
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Title: Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act
  • Sponsor(s): Rep. Debbie Dingell (plus a broad bipartisan list of co-sponsors)
  • Introduction date: August 31, 2026
  • Committee: Natural Resources

What this bill aims to do

  • Main purpose: Prohibit the renaming or redesignation of the official geographic names of the Great Lakes. It also seeks to nullify Executive Order 14422 which referenced renaming aspects related to the lakes, and to prevent federal actions that would implement or enforce that order or similar actions.

Key provisions and changes

  1. Prohibition on renaming the Great Lakes (Section 2)

    • The President, the Secretary of the Interior, and any federal officers or employees acting under the President may not alter, change, redesignate, or otherwise rename the official geographic names of:
      • Lake Superior
      • Lake Michigan
      • Lake Huron
      • Lake Erie
      • Lake Ontario

  2. Nullification and non-implementation of Executive Order 14422 (Section 3)

    • Executive Order 14422, titled “Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America” (issued August 27, 2026), would have no force or effect.
    • The President, the Secretary of the Interior, and any federal official may not issue, implement, administer, or enforce any Executive Order, memorandum, proclamation, or other action intended to carry out EO 14422 or substantially similar actions.
    • No federal funds may be used to implement, administer, or otherwise support EO 14422 or substantially similar orders or actions.

Who would be affected

  • Federal government actors (the President, the Department of the Interior, and any officers or employees acting under federal authority)
  • Any actions, orders, or funds relating to renaming the Great Lakes or implementing EO 14422
  • The renaming or redesignation of Great Lakes names would require new legislation to alter, not executive action under this bill

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Status: Introduced August 31, 2026 and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  • There is no current indication of a Senate companion or passage timeline within the provided text.
  • The act would take effect upon enactment, directly barring renaming and nullifying EO 14422, with immediate implications for federal action and funding tied to those provisions.

Why this matters (potential impact)

  • Legal clarity: Establishes a clear federal policy to preserve the traditional geographic names of the Great Lakes.
  • Executive action restraint: Limits the executive branch’s ability to rename lakes or implement related orders without new legislation.
  • Funding implications: Bars use of federal funds to enforce EO 14422 or similar renaming actions, preventing potential expenditures tied to renaming efforts.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to existing statutory language on place-naming or provide a brief background on EO 14422 and related naming debates.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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