Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act

Summary#

This bill would stop the federal government from changing the official names of the five Great Lakes. It says the President, the Secretary of the Interior, and any federal officer or employee may not alter, change, redesignate, or otherwise rename the official geographic name of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario. The bill also states that Executive Order 14422, titled "Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America" (issued August 27, 2026), shall have no force or effect. It bans federal officials from issuing or carrying out actions to implement that executive order or any substantially similar action, and it prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or give effect to that executive order or similar actions.

What it means for you#

  • Federal officials could not change the official names of the five Great Lakes.
  • The named executive order that would rename Lake Ontario is canceled and may not be implemented by federal employees.
  • The bill text does not say how state, local, tribal, or private naming practices or maps would be affected. No publicly available information.

Expenses#

  • The bill prohibits using federal funds to implement the specified executive order.
  • The text does not appropriate new funds or provide an estimate of costs or savings. No publicly available information on net costs or savings.

Proponents' View#

  • The bill's sponsors introduced the measure to prevent renaming the Great Lakes and to nullify Executive Order 14422. The bill text expresses those actions as its purpose.

Opponents' View#

  • No publicly available information.