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Proposed ‘Gio's Law,' named for tragic LI teen, would see cops across US equipped with EpiPens
Cop cars in the US would be equipped with EpiPens in memory of a Long Island teen baseball player who died from an allergic reaction to peanuts, according a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress this week.
Long Island Reps Laura Gillen (D) and Andrew Garbarino (R) said the bill would ensure the feds pony up $25 million to dole out to states to buy the critical life-saving allergic-reaction treatment for officers and train them in their use.
The proposed legislation is dubbed 'Gio's Law' in honor of 14-year-old Giovanni Cipriano, a Lynbrook high-school freshman and travel baseball player who died in 2013 when he went into anaphylactic shock during a family vacation.
5 Proposed legislation dubbed 'Gio's Law' in honor of 14-year-old Giovanni Cipriano would equip cop cars with EpiPens.
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5 Cipriano, a Long Island teen baseball player, died from an allergic reaction to peanuts.
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Gio's mom, Georgina Cornago, was brought to tears as the bill was announced Wednesday — and as she recalled her 'amazing' son.
'I stand here today overwhelmed with gratitude, emotion, and a deep sense of purpose,' Cornago said. 'This has been a long journey fueled by heartbreak, hope, and persistence.'
Gillen said the bill not only pays tribute to Gio's memory but also aims to prevent future tragedies by giving cops the tools they need to respond when seconds matter.
'There's no reason we should be losing lives simply because first responders don't have the proper equipment,' the pol said.
Epinephrine, best known under the brand name EpiPen, is an emergency treatment used for anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction triggered by such things as food, insect stings and medications.
5 'This has been a long journey fueled by heartbreak, hope, and persistence,' Cipriano's mom, Georgina Cornago, said about the bill.
James Messerschmidt
'This is a public-safety issue, plain and simple,' Gillen said of the new bill. 'Over 32 million Americans live with life-threatening allergies — and the people we rely on to be first on the scene should be trained and equipped to help.'
Cornago wept as she described her son as 'a super energetic boy' who loved making people laugh and never let anyone feel alone.
'I told you I'd never stop fighting — and I stand by those words,' she said. 'Equipping law enforcement and first responders with epinephrine is not optional. It's essential. It will save lives.'
5 'Equipping law enforcement and first responders with epinephrine is not optional. It's essential. It will save lives,' Cornago said.
James Messerschmidt
5 Cornago described her son as 'a super energetic boy' who loved making people laugh and never let anyone feel alone.
James Messerschmidt
Lynbrook Police Inspector Sean Murphy, whose daughter's life was once saved by an officer's EpiPen, said the proposed legislation gives families like his peace of mind.
At least 1,500 people die every year from anaphylasix, with the tragic rate doubling in the past two decades alone, according to the National Institutes of Health in 2023.
