Washington » A congressman from Utah says he will introduce a bill that could mean District of Columbia residents would vote on gay marriage.

The district has currently passed a law that would legalize gay marriage in the district. But the law, which has not yet gone into effect, was passed by City Council members and not voted on directly by citizens.

Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz says he believes district residents would vote to overturn the law if given the chance and wants to help ensure a vote is possible.

The city's board of elections, however, has barred similar gay marriage measures from the ballot by citing a human rights law. Chaffetz says his federal bill would supersede any board ruling.

Because the city is a federal district, Congress oversees its laws.