U.S. Senator Katie Britt Calls on Congress to Support Lulu’s Law
‘This has the potential to make a real difference in Americans’ lives’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the reintroduction of her bipartisan legislation, Lulu’s Law. Her legislation, named in honor of 16-year-old Lulu Gribbin, would direct the Federal Communication Commission to issue an order providing that shark attacks are events for which wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) may be transmitted.
Senator Britt began her remarks by sharing Lulu Gribbin’s remarkable story: “. . . on June 7 of last year, out of the blue, she was attacked by a shark . . . What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. The doctors, nurses, EMTs, and everyday people on the beach that day saved Lulu’s life. But the real miracle was just beginning. When Lulu woke up from surgery that day and got taken off of her ventilator, her very first words were, ‘I made it.’ That has become a mantra, not just in how she remerged, but in the way she has pushed forward after a long rehabilitation . . .”
She continued, highlighting the need for legislation to prevent similar tragedies in the future, saying, “Lulu is indeed an inspiration, but this tremendous battle that she’s fought and won could have been prevented in the first place . . . I learned that there was another shark attack that happened just right down the shore 90 minutes earlier. Elizabeth Foley, a mother of three from Virginia, tragically lost her hand to a shark bite and suffered other terrible injuries . . . After talking with Lulu and her family. We said, ‘it doesn’t have to be this way’ . . .”
“That’s when we introduced Lulu’s Law, and it’s why I’m reintroducing this bill in this Congress today,” Senator Britt said. Lulu’s Law would empower authorized local, state, tribal, and federal government authorities to quickly deploy warnings via mobile phone alert messages to the public if a shark has attacked someone or if the conditions enhancing the possibility of a shark attack are present. Senator Britt emphasized that this legislation has the “potential to make a real difference in Americans’ lives, and when we’re given the opportunity to do something simple that can make such a big difference, I believe we have to take it.”
Lulu’s Law has bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced this legislation in the Senate. Congressman Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), who introduced this legislation in the 118th Congress, again introduced Lulu’s Law in the U.S. House of Representatives this Congress.
In closing, Senator Britt urged her colleagues to pass this legislation to honor Lulu’s bravery and to help keep Americans safe: “to Lulu: I want you to know how much you have inspired all of us,” she said. “To Lulu’s parents, Ann Blair and Joe Gribbin, the way you’ve all rallied our state and our country to support Lulu on her road to recovery is truly unbelievable. To my colleagues in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, whether you represent a state on the coast or . . . the interior, there is no doubt we want to keep our citizens safe whether they live there or they’re visiting . . . Let’s pass this law, let’s celebrate this amazing young woman, and let’s prevent this from happening again.”
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