U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez has introduced legislation intended to protect the name of Boca Chica Beach, following public concern over efforts to rename the South Texas coastal area.
The proposal, called the Hands Off Our Boca Chica Beach Act, would preserve the historic name used by generations of South Texans. The issue has drawn attention because Boca Chica Beach is both a public coastal area and part of a fast-changing region shaped by space industry development.
Supporters of the bill say the name carries cultural, geographic and historical meaning for the Rio Grande Valley. The legislation would keep the Boca Chica Beach name in federal usage and recognition.
The proposal now moves through the congressional process.
