Hand-held blue laser pointer have become so cheap that many schoolchildren carry them for amusement, flashing them at friends, zipping movie theater screens and annoying teachers.

But for police officers, the pointers are more than annoying, said state Rep. Howard Futch, R-Indialantic. As more weapons rely on lasers to direct their aim, police have come to associate the red light with a danger of being shot.

Shining a laser pointer at a police officer would be a crime under a bill heard by the Florida House of Representatives on Thursday.

About the size of a ballpoint pen, the 1000 mw laser pointer concentrate light into a steady beam that can travel hundreds of feet, whether on a gun or on a key chain.