Westchester County will soon require police officers to carry epinephrine auto-injectors and to be trained to use them, following the unanimous passage of the new Giovanni Cipriano Act by the County Board of Legislators on October 6. The law directs the county’s Department of Public Safety to prepare officers to respond to anaphylaxis—a severe allergic reaction—in emergency situations.
The act is named in memory of 14-year-old Giovanni Cipriano, a Long Island teenager who died after consuming peanuts contained in trail mix, unaware of his allergy. Policymakers and advocates say the legislation is designed to ensure first responders can act within the critical time window when every minute can make a difference.
Support for the measure was bipartisan, with Board Chair Vedat Gashi of New Castle sponsoring the bill. Gashi remarked that many families live in daily fear of life-threatening allergic reactions, and that first responders arriving before paramedics should be equipped to act. The proposal was also championed by Horace Greeley High School student Jared Saiontz, who lives with 26 different anaphylactic allergies; Saiontz called the act a way to honor Giovanni’s legacy and to help safeguard others.
Giovanni’s mother, Georgina Cornago, is the founder of The Love for Giovanni Foundation and has pushed to broaden “Gio’s Law” at the state and national levels. She emphasized that food allergies affect over 33 million Americans and that up to a quarter of severe reactions occur in individuals who were previously undiagnosed—and that having epinephrine immediately accessible can mean the difference between life and death.
This local move builds on New York’s 2023 “Gio’s Law,” which authorizes counties to empower trained emergency responders, including police, to carry and administer epinephrine. Suffolk County was the first to adopt a local implementation of the law and has already been credited with saving lives. County officials hope that Westchester’s action will encourage other counties to follow suit.
Beyond the county level, Cornago is collaborating with US Representative Laura Gillen to pursue a federal version of “Gio’s Law,” which would require police forces across the country to carry EpiPens and receive appropriate training.
Advocates say the legislation represents a growing awareness of the need for greater preparedness in responding to allergic emergencies. For families living with severe allergies, Westchester’s new law signals a meaningful step toward ensuring that the tools to save a life are always within reach.
Our congratulations and sincere thanks to Ms Cornago and Jared Saiontz for adding another win to the legislative legacy of Gio’s Law, ensuring even more lives are saved. We urge Rep Laura Gillen to sponsor a federal version of the legislation, and we pledge our support.
