BATON ROUGE- A bill for stronger punishment in hazing-related incidents was signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Edwards signed House Bill 78, better known as the 'Max Gruver Act' Thursday afternoon. He also signed several other bills related to the "growing problem of hazing on Louisiana university campuses."

“Students need to know that their leaders take hazing seriously,” said Edwards. “This legislation sends the clear message that the state of Louisiana does not tolerate hazing of any kind. It is one important step toward ending the culture of hazing and secrecy in university organizations and creating a culture of openness, honesty and accountability.”

The 'Max Gruver Act' was named after the LSU freshman who was found dead after a hazing ritual at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. Since his death, four former students have been charged with crimes connected to the incident.

The bill was filed back in February by Representative Nancy Landry after she was approached by constituents as well as Gruver's parents.

The old hazing law only carried a maximum of a $100 fine and 30 days behind bars. With the new law, a hazing conviction would increase to a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in prison.