Thursday, October 1, 2026
Standing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Laura Gillen moved Gio’s Law another step toward becoming federal policy — this time with Giovanni Cipriano’s mother at her side.
For more than a decade, Georgina Cornago has pressed lawmakers to ensure that first responders nationwide can carry and administer epinephrine during life-threatening allergic reactions. Her son, Giovanni, a 14-year-old Lynbrook resident, died in 2014 after anaphylaxis struck while help was minutes away. New York has since authorized police officers to carry EpiPens, but advocates say access remains uneven, expensive and dependent on individual departments’ budgets.
Cornago, visiting Capitol Hill for the first time, said the moment felt larger than anything she imagined after 12 years of work.
“I never would have imagined that it was going to be a national bill,” she said.
Gio’s Law, introduced by Gillen and Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino, would create a federal grant program to help law enforcement agencies purchase epinephrine and secure training for officers. Departments nationwide have struggled to afford the devices, which can cost up to $600 per single-use set. The proposal also encourages expanded training and awareness around emergency allergy response.
Gillen said that having Cornago present, and Giovanni’s photograph visible in the hearing room, shifted the conversation from procedure to lived experience.
“I don't expect that there will be too many ‘no’ votes on such an important noncontroversial bipartisan piece of legislation like this,” she said.
Her appearance before the Judiciary Committee counts as an official hearing, a required step before the bill can move to markup. Gillen and Cornago spent the rest of the day meeting with lawmakers from both parties, urging the Judiciary chair to advance the bill to a committee vote and then to the House floor.
The Village of Lynbrook, where Giovanni grew up, was one of the first communities in New York to equip its police officers with EpiPens after his death. Mayor Alan Beach said local officials made it happen by partnering with Northwell Health to secure the devices at no cost.
“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.”
The federal proposal is designed to eliminate the financial hurdles that have slowed or limited adoption elsewhere. Gillen said officers nationwide should have the tools to respond the moment anaphylaxis begins — regardless of their zip code or department budget.
Cornago, who began advocating after her son’s death so that “no other parent will feel what I felt,” said the day in Washington was both surreal and urgent.
Gio’s Law now awaits potential markup in the Judiciary Committee, the next major step before a full House vote.
