[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2437-S2438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               LULU'S LAW

  Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, today, I rise to honor Lulu Gribbin and to 
celebrate that Lulu's Law has now passed both the Senate and, as of 
yesterday, the House of Representatives.
  I want to take you back a second.
  So Lulu Gribbin has inspired the world. And for those of you who 
don't know her story, you have to go look it up. This child, 15 years 
old, on June 7, 2 years ago--almost 2 years ago--was doing what so many 
families do, particularly from Alabama. She was enjoying the gulf 
coast.
  She was looking for a sand dollar with one of her friends when, 
unfortunately, she was attacked by a shark. In the moments that 
followed, she lost her left arm, and she lost her right leg. But she 
lost two-thirds of the blood from her body in the moments following. It 
is literally by God's grace that that precious child is still with us.
  There were doctors and EMTs and nurses and Good Samaritans that came 
to her aid and her rescue immediately. As they worked diligently to 
save Lulu and to figure out what the pathway forward was, the world 
became inspired by her grit, by her grace, by her resilience, by her 
toughness, and by her attitude of positivity and saying: How can I take 
what has happened to me and make sure other people's lives are better?
  Lulu is one of four. She is actually a twin. We loved hosting her 
entire family here yesterday. It was such a special moment. Lulu walked 
out onto the House floor and got to be there when they voted for this 
law in her name--this law that she said is going to protect people. It 
is going to make beachgoers safer, and it is going to make the country 
stronger and better.
  So what Lulu's Law does is actually really simple. And when you think 
about how this came to be, we were talking about this--a group of 
friends of mine, a group of women--and we were talking about what 
happened to Lulu and the events that followed. And we said ``Golly,'' 
and one woman said, if there had just been an alert that they knew a 
shark attack had occurred--because to know this law, you have to know 
Lulu's story.
  Just 90 minutes before Lulu was attacked, a woman from Virginia, 
Elisabeth Foley, was attacked by a shark and lost her left hand. It was 
just a short 2-plus miles down the way, on the beach where Lulu was 
attacked, 90 minutes later. If she had had any idea about Elisabeth 
Foley's attack, she and her friends would never have been in the water.
  So what this does is, it just authorizes local, State, and Tribal 
leaders to be able to utilize the wireless alert system if an attack 
occurs. It is simple. It is common sense.
  When I called Lulu's parents, Joe and Ann Blair Gribbin, who have 
just--their resiliency, their love for their daughter, the foundation 
they have created are just nothing short of remarkable.
  They said: We have been talking about this exact same thing.
  When we brought the idea forward--I want to thank my colleague from 
Hawaii, Senator Brian Schatz, for his

[[Page S2438]]

leadership on this effort. He immediately joined alongside me and said: 
This is a small tweak that can make a big different.
  So now, when these events occur off the coast, whether it be anywhere 
from the east coast to the west coast, to the Gulf of America or 
beyond, we will be authorized and able to use that wireless alert 
system, ping the phones in that area, let people know of a dangerous 
environment, and get more kids, more families, more people to safety.
  This honors Lulu, and it honors the spirit in which she has dealt 
with the unthinkable, which is: How am I going to take what happened to 
me and positively impact others?
  Yesterday, as we stood with Leader Scalise--and he was so gracious to 
have her up and to be able to celebrate with her afterward--she said: 
We are making a difference. We are making a positive impact, and that 
is what this is all about.
  Between that and her foundation that she started--it is Lulu; and you 
can go Lulu Strong Foundation--she helps kids and others that need help 
with prosthetics.
  She has been remarkable. She was telling us yesterday that she used 
to play volleyball. Now she plays golf and much better than me--much 
better than me.
  But go look her up. Go be inspired by her faith, by her grit, by her 
resiliency. She is a 17-year-old Alabamian that is truly changing the 
world. She took a circumstance that people thought was unthinkable and 
has made a positive impact that I know is going to change and save 
lives.
  And it was an honor to carry this piece of legislation. I am grateful 
to Senator Schatz. I am grateful to Congressman Palmer, who carried it 
in the House. And we look forward to standing beside the President and 
signing this into law in Lulu's honor and to make sure that beach 
season is safer as a result.
  I yield the floor.

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