WASHINGTON — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved Lulu’s Law Wednesday, creating a warning alert system for shark attacks.
The legislation’s namesake, Lulu Gribbin, joined the bill’s sponsors, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Birmingham, in the Capitol to celebrate the passage. The vote was 401-6.
The Mountain Brook 17-year-old lost her left hand and right leg in a shark attack on a Florida beach in 2024.
“What a remarkable moment to be able to have her on the floor, to watch people cast the vote,” Britt told Alabama Daily News. “This law that will forever be in her name that’s gonna protect others, so that what she’s had to go through, hopefully, others will not.”
Before a shark attacked the Alabama teen in June 2024, another woman was also attacked by a shark 90 minutes earlier, only a few miles away. A third person was also attacked nearby.
The legislation aims to help prevent that by directing the Federal Communications Commission to provide mobile phone alerts similar to Amber Alerts when a shark attacks someone nearby or when conditions suggest an imminent threat.
“While we cannot undo what happened to Lulu, we can honor her strength and leadership by taking steps to better protect beachgoers and prevent another shark attack from happening in the future,” Palmer said on the House floor.
Gribbin’s parents, Ann Blair and Joe, said seeing the bill advance through Congress is “a powerful reflection of our daughter’s extraordinary spirit.”
“Whether it’s through her advocacy for this legislation or founding the Lulu Strong Foundation, Lulu’s tireless commitment to serving others continues to inspire our family, our community, and people across this nation,” her parents said.
Lulu’s Law passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in July.
Last year, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a similar state law in honor of Gribbin after she and Britt visited the State House to advocate for the bill.
The federal legislation now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk.