Langerholc bill proposing safe zones for online deals, nears final Senate vote

(WTAJ) — A bipartisan bill that proposes the establishment of a grant program for municipalities to create designated public areas to finalize online sales, trades and giveaways has advanced in the Pennsylvania Senate.

On Monday, Senate Bill 173, advanced in the Senate, according to our media partners at the Tribune-Democrat . In a memo, State Senator, Wayne Langerholc said that Safe Exchange Zones could also be used by parents with custody agreements to exchange custody of their children.

Langerholc initially made the proposal following the 2021 murder of Denise Williams, who had responded to a Facebook Marketplace listing for the sale of a miniature refrigerator.

Police said Williams, 54, arranged to purchase the refrigerator from Joshua Gorgone, then 26, at an apartment where he then stabbed her to death. Gorgone was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving a life prison sentence.

The bill unanimously cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee and is in line for a vote by the full Senate. A prior version of the bill passed through the Senate in 2022 without opposition but stalled in the House. Langerholc reintroduced the bill this session.

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If the bill is approved, it will move to the state House for further consideration. You can read the full story on the Tribune-Democrat website .

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