HB2 • 2026

Gulf of Mexico, renamed, observation and implementation by state and local entities and state and local employees required where practicable

Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Standridge
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The source text explicitly limits the exception for schools using the old name to historical purposes; it does not specify other academic subjects like geography or science.

Gulf of America Act

This law renames the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Alabama for all purposes within the state and requires government workers to use the new name starting October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Renames the body of water bordering Alabama from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for all uses inside the state.
Requires state and local government employees to call this area the Gulf of America starting October 1, 2026.
Mandates that new maps, documents, websites, educational materials, official communications, and other resources use the name Gulf of America.
Asks agencies to update old resources with the new name if it is practical and does not cause a financial or operational burden.

Who It Names or Affects

State and local government entities in Alabama
Employees working for state and local governments

Terms To Know

Gulf of America Act: The official name given to this law.
Practicable: Something that can be done without causing too much trouble or cost, specifically avoiding operational or financial burdens.

Limits and Unknowns

Updating old materials is not required if it creates a financial or operational burden for the agency.
The law only applies to uses within the state of Alabama.
Public K-12 schools and colleges may still use the term Gulf of Mexico when teaching history.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

XDPUG7Z-1

R 535

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment officially renames the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America' within Alabama and requires state and local government workers to use this new name in their official work starting October 1, 2026.

The body of water bordering Alabama will be legally known as the 'Gulf of America' instead of the Gulf of Mexico for all purposes within the state.
State and local government employees must use the new name in any maps, documents, websites, or official communications they create after October 1, 2026.
Government agencies are asked to update their existing materials with the new name if it is practical to do so without causing financial or operational problems.

The law does not force schools to stop using 'Gulf of Mexico' when teaching history, as long as they have a reasonable reason for doing so.
It is unclear exactly what counts as an acceptable 'financial burden' that would allow agencies to skip updating old materials.

Bill History

2026-04-07 House
Enacted
2026-04-01 Senate
Signature Requested
2026-04-01 House
Delivered to Governor
2026-04-01 House
Enrolled
2026-04-01 House
Ready to Enroll
2026-03-31 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1009 (Yeas 26, Nays 5)
2026-03-31 Senate
Petition To Close Debate- Adopted Roll Call 1008 (Yeas 26, Nays 6)
2026-03-19 Senate
Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 26, Nays 7)
2026-03-19 Senate
Carried Over to the Call of the Chair
2026-03-03 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-03 Senate
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-02-25 Senate
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-25 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government
2026-02-24 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 536 (Yeas 74, Nays 30)
2026-02-24 House
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 535 (Yeas 74, Nays 28)
2026-02-24 House
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 74, Nays 30)
2026-02-24 House
Engrossed
2026-02-24 House
State Government Engrossed Substitute Offered
2026-02-05 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-04 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on State Government

Official Summary Text

This act is the Gulf of America Act. This act: (1) renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America for all purposes within the state; (2) requires all state and local entities and their employees to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of America, reflect the new name in all newly created maps, documents, educational materials, websites, official communications, and other resources, and make reasonable efforts to update all pre-existing resources where practicable if not an operational or financial burden.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB2
XDPUG7Z-3
By Representative Standridge
RFD: State Government
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 25-Jun-25
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HB2 Enrolled
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PFD: 25-Jun-25
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to the Gulf of Mexico; to rename the Gulf of
Mexico as the "Gulf of America"; and to require all state and
local entities and all employees of those entities to observe
and implement the name change, where practicable.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) This act shall be known and may be cited
as the Gulf of America Act.
(b) For all purposes within the State of Alabama, the
body of water that borders the coast of Alabama, previously
known as the Gulf of Mexico, shall be known as the "Gulf of
America." Any reference to the Gulf of Mexico shall be deemed
to be a reference to the Gulf of America.
Section 2. Beginning October 1, 2026, all state and
local entities and their employees shall be required to do all
of the following:
(1) Refer to the body of water that borders the coast
of Alabama as the "Gulf of America."
(2) Reflect the "Gulf of America" terminology in all
newly created maps, documents, educational materials,
websites, official communications, and other resources.
(3)a. Make reasonable efforts to update all
pre-existing resources owned by state and local entities,
including, but not limited to, official state maps, documents,
educational materials, websites, and communications under
their jurisdiction to reflect the name change, where
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HB2 Enrolled
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their jurisdiction to reflect the name change, where
practicable.
b. The requirements of paragraph a. shall not apply if
compliance would impose an operational or financial burden on
the state or local entity and their employees.
Section 3. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a
public K-12 school or public institution of higher education
from using the term "Gulf of Mexico" within a larger course of
academic instruction when reasonable for historical purposes.
Section 4. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 24-Feb-26, as amended.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 31-Mar-26 Passed
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