A new bill introduced in Georgia is aiming to block the possible defunding of the police in their state.

The Republican-backed bill named House Bill 286, was introduced by Rep. Houston Gaines who seeks to show support for those in uniform after protesters called for the defunding of the police department due to what is seen as  over-policing and racial injustice in minority communities.

“We all recognize that supporting law enforcement is of the utmost importance, and in my opinion, the most important rile that our governments have, Rep. Houston Gaines and the bill’s sponsor said.

The bill states that cities and countries can not cut the funding of police departments by more than 5% a year and has since been approved by the Georgia House subcommittee Tuesday.

The bill is now expected to move to the full committee for further debate.

Athens and Atlanta have been debating whether they wanted to cut funding to the police department or redirect funding to the department, however, many law makers believe it is not the correct decision to cut funding.

Similar bills have also been brought up in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and in North Carolina.