Friday, July 11, 2025
After New York State passed legislation to allow law enforcement and other personnel on Long Island to carry and administer epinephrine auto-injectors, like EpiPens, in case of allergic reactions, Congresswoman Laura Gillen announced she and Congressman Andrew Garbarino would introduce legislation for a federally funded program to help equip law enforcement vehicles with EpiPens, among training efforts.
“This is a bipartisan issue, and this is a public safety issue,” Gillen said.
The legislation, deemed Gio’s Law, honors Lynbrook resident Giovanni Cipriano, who was 14 years old when he died after an allergic reaction.
His mother, Georgina Cornago, a Lynbrook resident, advocated strongly to have first responders be able to aid children in case of similar incidents.
“This has been a long journey filled with heartbreak, hope and perseverance,” Cornago said. “To all the advocates, the moms and dads of children living with this daily threat, and to those who are no longer here, I see you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I will continue to fight for you.”
The pilot program, Gillen said, will set up $25 million for nationwide access to epinephrine. A single package of EpiPens come in a pair, for one adult and one child, which is the standard supply for a single police vehicle.
“Georgina has been a tireless advocate, taking her pain and transforming it into helping other families,” Gillen said.
The Village of Lynbrook equipped law enforcement officers with EpiPens starting in 2017, after Cipriano’s death.
“We thank Lynbrook and the mayor and the police department here for their advocacy and their leadership on this issue, who have always used the EpiPen program to help save lives,” Gillen said.
Mayor Alan Beach said the village achieved this by negotiating with NorthWell Health to provide free EpiPens to law enforcement.
“Now we see Georgina, and two members of a congressional delegation from both parties, take this up to the federal level,” Beach said. “It really speaks to the importance of having this bill passed, and it brings us great pride knowing that [this] was started right here in the Village of Lynbrook.”
