Louisiana set to pass 'Blue Lives Matter' bill that makes attacks on police a hate crime

The House Bill 953 has been nicknamed ‘Blue Lives Matter’

Two girls hold up pictures of slain NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in December (Getty)

Louisiana is close to signing a new law which would make any violent attack on police officers, firefighters and emergency services staff a hate crime.

The so-called “Blue Lives Matter” bill, a play on the name of Black Lives Matter, a national movement which shines a spotlight on police shootings of black people, has been named a first of its kind.

“As the son and brother of a sheriff, I have the greatest respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect our communities, state and nation,” said Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards in a statement to NBC News. ”The members of the law enforcement community deserve these protections, and I look forward to signing this bill into law."

House Bill 953 was authored by state representative Lance Harris following the death of Texas sheriff’s deputy Darren Goforth, who was shot and killed in 2015.

“It looked like it was strictly done because someone didn’t like police officers, like a hate crime,” Mr Harris told CNN.

“I certainly do think there is a need for it. If you’re going to have an extensive hate crime statute then we need to protect those that are out there protecting us on a daily basis,” Harris said.

“There is a concerted effort in some areas to terrorize and attack police and I think this will go forward and stop that.”

State law mandates that anyone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime can be sentenced to up to six months in prison and fined $500. If convicted of a felony, that person can get an extra five years behind bars and fined up to $5,000.

Anti-Defamation League regional director Allison Padilla-Goodman said in a statement that police are already protected under Louisiana laws and the new bill defers attention from identity-based crimes, like race and religion, to professional-based crimes.

“The bill confuses the purpose of the Hate Crimes Act and weakens its impact by adding more categories of people who are already better protected under other laws,” she wrote.