New Federal Law Allows Shark Attack Alerts To Cellphones
President Trump signed "Lulu's Law" in late June 2026, authorizing shark-attack alerts to be sent to mobile phones through the Wireless Emergency Alerts system.[1]
The law directs the Federal Communications Commission to classify shark bites as events eligible for Wireless Emergency Alerts, but leaves it to states to adopt and send the warnings.[1] That means beaches could receive rapid, cellphone-based warnings about nearby attacks only if state officials opt to activate them.
On June 7, 2024, 15-year-old Lulu Gribbin of Mountain Brook, Alabama, lost her left hand and part of her right leg in a bull shark attack while swimming at Seacrest Beach in Walton County, Florida. An earlier attack that day occurred about 90 minutes and three miles away. Gribbin later said an alert about that first incident would have kept her out of the water, and she then campaigned for real-time emergency notifications.
Sen. Katie Britt introduced Lulu's Law in the Senate, and the measure won bipartisan approval in the House before advancing to the president's desk.[1] Alabama had already approved a state-level shark-alert system after Gribbin's injury, and advocates hope the federal law gives other coastal states a template to warn beachgoers more quickly.
The mainstream summary does not mention the broader context of shark attacks in the U.S., where 25 unprovoked bites were recorded in 2025, including a significant 11 in Florida alone, highlighting the urgency for such alerts. This statistic underscores the potential impact of Lulu's Law, as it aims to address a growing concern for beach safety amidst increasing shark encounters. The summary also overlooks the historical evolution of emergency alert systems, which have increasingly shifted from traditional media to mobile platforms, a change driven by the need for more effective communication in emergencies. This transition is rooted in legislative efforts dating back to the WARN Act of 2006, which aimed to enhance public safety communications by leveraging mobile technology. Such details provide a deeper understanding of the law's significance and the technological advancements that support its implementation.[2][3]
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📊 Relevant Data
The United States recorded 25 unprovoked shark bites in 2025, including 11 in Florida, representing 38% of the 65 unprovoked bites worldwide that year.
Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary — Florida Museum of Natural History
📌 Key Facts
- President Trump signed 'Lulu's Law' in late June 2026, authorizing shark-attack alerts via Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile phones.
- The law requires the FCC to classify shark bites as events for which emergency alerts can be issued, but states must choose to implement the warnings.
- Alabama previously approved a shark-attack alert system after resident Lulu Gribbin was severely injured in a June 7, 2024 shark attack off the Florida Panhandle.
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