Palmer introduces Lulu's Law

On Friday, Congressman Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) introduced Lulu's Law to the U.S. House of Representatives. Lulu's Law is named after Lulu Gribbin of Mountain Brook, Alabama, who is recovering after being attacked by a shark earlier in this summer.

Only 90 minutes prior to Lulu Gribbin and McCray Faust being attacked, another woman was attacked by a shark just a few miles away. Lulu's Law would codify the ability for authorities to quickly deploy wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) to the public if someone has been attacked by a shark or if the conditions for a shark attack are present.

"As a member of Congress, our top priority should be keeping Americans safe," said Congressman Palmer. "Had an alert gone out, the dreadful shark attack on Lulu could have been prevented. Lulu's tremendous strength, faith, and bravery throughout her healing journey has inspired many. No child should have to go through what she has endured, and no parent should have to watch their children suffer as she has. By passing Lulu's Law, we are creating a commonsense solution to prevent future attacks from occurring and keep beachgoers out of harm's way."

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and sends out local alerts in an effort to provide emergency information to the public. Other WEA alerts include extreme weather warnings, amber alerts, and more.

Lulu's Law is co-sponsored by Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Selma), Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), Jerry Carl (R-Mobile), Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Dale Strong (R-Huntsville), and Neal Dunn (R-Florida).

This bill is the House companion legislation to the bill introduced by Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) to the U.S. Senate on July 30, 2024.