Senate Rules Committee members refused Tuesday to send out for public hearing the so-called "pill bill," which is now on at least its third trip to the Capitol.

The measure would require health insurers and HMOs to add birth control pills and other forms of contraception to their prescription coverage plans.

Utah's predominantly LDS Legislature has shied from any legislation seen as promoting contraception.

But its sponsor, Salt Lake City Democratic Sen. Paula Julander, is optimistic that her bill will see committee and floor debate before the session ends.

Rules Committee Chairman Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, promised that Senate Bill 111 "will come out."

But when or where it will surface is still up for debate, Waddoups said.

"There wasn't consensus on where, which committee, to send it."

Sending the measure to the Natural Resources or Revenue and Taxation committees - rather than the Business and Labor committee where Julander believes it belongs - could kill it.

But Julander has taken a different approach this year, touting the bill as an effort to bar prescription plans from discriminating against a particular drug or treatment.

In addition, the bill would allow churches and other religious employers, such as schools or charities, to opt out of contraception coverage.