New Bill Aims to Equip Police with EpiPens in Memory of Long Island Teen

This week, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress aimed at equipping U.S. police vehicles with EpiPens. This initiative is in honor of a young baseball player from Long Island who tragically lost his life due to a peanut allergy.

Officials Laura Gillen (D) and Andrew Garbarino (R) are backing the bill, which proposes a $25 million fund to ensure that first responders are provided with and trained to use these life-saving devices.

The legislation is named “Gio’s Law,” after 14-year-old Giovanni Cipriano, a freshman at a Lynbrook high school who died in 2013 after experiencing anaphylactic shock while on family leave.

Giovanni’s mother, Georgina Cornago, expressed her emotional response to the announcement on Wednesday. She shared, “I was overwhelmed by my gratitude, emotion, and a deep sense of purpose today. It’s been a long journey filled with heartbreak, hope, and determination.”

Gillen emphasized that this law honors Gio’s memory while also aiming to prevent future tragedies by equipping police officers with the necessary tools to act quickly when lives are at stake. “There’s no reason why anyone should die just because our first responders lack the right equipment,” she asserted.

Epinephrine, commonly known by the brand name EpiPen, is a critical emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, which can be triggered by food, insect bites, medications, and other allergens.

“This is a straightforward public safety issue,” Gillen reiterated. “Over 32 million Americans suffer from life-threatening allergies. The individuals we rely on in emergencies should be adequately trained and equipped.”

Cornago painted a vivid picture of her son as a “super energetic boy” who thrived on making others laugh and ensuring no one felt alone. “I promised I would never stop fighting for this. Equipping law enforcement with EpiPens is not just preferable; it’s essential. It saves lives,” she insisted.

Lynbrook Police Inspector Sean Murphy, who has seen the impact of EpiPens firsthand when they saved his daughter’s life, noted that the proposed law would bring comfort to families facing similar challenges.

Each year, at least 1,500 individuals die from anaphylaxis, and this alarming statistic has doubled over the past two decades, according to the National Institutes of Health.