LULU'S LAW

On 2026-05-21, Senator Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL) delivered a floor speech titled "LULU'S LAW" in the Senate.

LULU'S LAW

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026) [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. ____________________