The Draper Republican has sponsored a bill - HB327 passed a House committee Wednesday - that he says isn't meant to target one city, but nevertheless could have the most immediate effect on the capital.

The bill conflicts with the Salt Lake City Council's health-insurance proposal that would subsidize employees' "adult designees" - such as domestic partners, relatives, friends - by $225,000 a year. The designees must meet a list of criteria to be eligible.

Christensen's measure would limit government agencies to insuring only employees, their spouses and children. Cities, counties and school districts could offer insurance plans to cover others - those "others" aren't defined - as long as the benefit isn't subsidized by the employer or with government funds. The cost would be paid by the employee.

"Rather than take taxpayer money and sanction whatever those relationships [between employees and others] might be . . . you at least say to them, 'You at least don't have to go out and search' ” for insurance, Christensen said after the committee meeting.

Still, Salt Lake City Council Chairman Dave Buhler will urge the council to approve its plan on Tuesday.

During a meeting last month, the council considered not subsidizing the designees' insurance, but rejected the idea because the city subsidizes employees' spouses.

"The whole idea of this is to be fair," Buhler said.

Neither Buhler nor Christensen knows if the state bill would trump the council plan.

The council itself is trumping Mayor Rocky Anderson, who signed an executive order, now the subject of a lawsuit, in September. The order offered insurance benefits to employees' domestic partners and their children.

Christensen's bill would make such executive orders illegal, leaving the decisions to legislative bodies such as city councils.

Anderson said the bill undermines local control and separation of power between mayors and councils. He said some lawmakers are willing to do that because of their "hostility toward providing greater equality for those who don't have traditional families."

hmay@sltrib.com