A private member's bill set for debate Thursday in Ottawa would make it a crime to cover your face with a mask or other means during a riot.

The bill by Conservative MP Blake Richards was introduced in the House of Commons last month and is set to be debated for the first time. It seeks to amend the Criminal Code to make it an offence to wear a mask, or otherwise disguise or conceal one’s identity during riots or unlawful assemblies.

“When trouble starts, people intent on criminal activity depend on being able to 'mask up' to conceal their faces with bandanas, balaclavas or other means to avoid being identified and being held accountable for their actions,” Richards said in a statement last month when the bill was tabled. “Wearing a mask in these circumstances is an aggravating factor for their behaviour that should be reflected in the law."

Richards said this is a measure that police have asked for and that it would be a new tool for them to help control "unruly mobs" and help identify offenders following a riot.

The Alberta MP's bill exempts people from the bill that have a "lawful excuse" for covering their face. It does not define what a lawful excuse would be under the proposed legislation.

If Richards's bill becomes law, a person found guilty of breaking it could be jailed for five years.

The debate on the mask-banning bill comes as protests associated with the Occupy movement ramp up in New York City and across North America.

It also comes as Vancouver police launch a new effort to identify suspects from the riot in June after the Stanley Cup final.

Posters with 104 suspects on them are being distributed throughout the city.