Texas Wildlife Refuge Officially Renamed to Honor Jocelyn Nungaray Following Tragic 2024 Event

This bill, officially titled the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act, is straightforward: it formally changes the name of a major federal property in Texas. Specifically, it mandates that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, located near Houston, must now be called the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.

The Administrative Switch

The core of this legislation is purely administrative, confirming a name change that was previously initiated by an Executive Order on March 4, 2025. The bill's findings section (SEC. 2) explains the context, referencing the tragic murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in June 2024, allegedly by members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Congress is essentially agreeing that since Ms. Nungaray loved animals and lived in the area, the renaming is appropriate.

What Does This Mean for the Refuge?

For the average person who visits the refuge or works nearby, the actual management of the land won't change. The bill doesn't alter any funding, conservation rules, or public access policies—it’s just a new name on the sign. However, Section 3 requires a massive federal paperwork overhaul: every official document, map, law, or record belonging to the U.S. government that currently lists the 'Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge' must now be officially treated as referring to the 'Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.'

Think of it like updating the corporate name on all your business stationery and legal filings. For federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this means updating maps, permits, research documents, and boundary descriptions to ensure legal consistency. While this ensures standardization, it’s a significant, if invisible, administrative task to switch every reference across the federal bureaucracy. Ultimately, this bill serves as a formal legislative act to memorialize a tragic event by renaming a significant piece of federal land.