Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills Monday for his state to legally recognize the body of water along its western coast as the "Gulf of America."

The change makes Florida the first such state to do so and follows President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, his first day in office since winning reelection in 2024, signing an executive order to change the name of the body of water from the Gulf of Mexico.

The two bills, HB 575 and HB 549, direct state agencies and school districts to adopt instructional "geographic materials," such as textbooks, that include the change after July 1. 

The bills' sponsors in the Senate posted photos of themselves with DeSantis in the governor's Capitol office, holding blue Sharpies and green "Gulf of America" road signs, as USA Today reported.

"Florida is proud to follow the leadership of President Trump as the first state to officially recognize the Gulf of America," Republican state Sen. Nick DiCeglie said. "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."

Republican Florida Sen. Joe Gruters agreed, saying that the bills signed by DeSantis "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," he said.

"We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers lot of territory, the Gulf of America," Trump previously said. "What a beautiful name. And it's appropriate."

U.S. Coast Guard, Google Maps and Apple Maps previously adopted the new name.