# Lulu's Law: What It Actually Does

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (the agency that oversees cell phone networks and wireless communications) to allow shark attacks to be included as an emergency that triggers wireless alerts on people's phones. Right now, the emergency alert system on your phone is used for things like severe weather warnings, missing children alerts, and other public safety emergencies. This bill would add shark attacks to that official list of events that can trigger those alerts.

In practical terms, if a shark attack happens at a beach, local authorities would be able to send out an immediate alert to everyone's phones in that area, similar to how tornado warnings or Amber Alerts work today. The bill gives the FCC 180 days (about six months) from when it becomes law to officially update their rules to make this happen. This means if you're at or near a beach where a shark attack occurs, you could receive a warning on your phone telling you to get out of the water or stay away from that area.

The bill is nicknamed "Lulu's Law," which suggests it may have been inspired by a specific shark attack incident. While shark attacks are rare, this would give coastal communities another tool to quickly warn beachgoers about immediate danger. The change is relatively straightforward—it's essentially just adding one more type of emergency to an existing alert system that already handles many different kinds of public safety threats.

Lulu’s Law

Palmer, Gary J.

Lulu’s LawThis bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to issue an order explicitly permitting the transmission of wireless emergency alerts to mobile phones in the event of a shark attack.&nbsp;(Under current regulations, authorized government authorities are permitted to send wireless emergency alerts regarding public safety emergencies, including severe weather, missing children, and other threats to life or property.)