Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004

Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents i Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 TABLE OF PROVISIONS Section Page PART 1—PRELIMINARY 1 1. Purpose 1 2. Commencement 2 PART 2—AMENDMENTS 3 3. Objects of Act 3 4. Definitions 3 5. New Part 4A inserted 4 PART 4A—RECOGNITION OF SEX (TRANSSEXUALISM) 4 Division 1—Persons born in Victoria 4 30A. Application to alter Register 4 30B. Statutory declarations by doctors 4 30C. Alteration of Register 6 30D. Issue of new birth certificate 6 Division 2—Victorian residents born elsewhere 7 30E. Application for document acknowledging identity 7 30F. Issue of document acknowledging identity 7 Division 3—Other matters 8 30G. Effect of alteration of Register and interstate recognition certificates 8 30H. Re-issue of interstate birth certificates 8 6. Access to Register 9 7. Registrar to provide certain information to Minister 9 ═══════════════ ENDNOTES 10 -- 1 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents 1 Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004† [Assented to 1 June 2004] The Parliament of Victoria enacts as follows: PART 1—PRELIMINARY 1. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to amend the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 to provide for the recognition of the sex of persons who have undergone sex affirmation surgery. Victoria No. 29 of 2004 -- 2 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 1—Preliminary Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 2 2. Commencement (1) Subject to sub-section (2), this Act comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed. (2) If a provision of this Act does not come into operation before 1 January 2005, it comes into operation on that day. __________________ s. 2 -- 3 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 3 PART 2—AMENDMENTS 3. Objects of Act (1) After section 3(c) of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 insert— "(ca) the alteration of the record of sex in a person's birth registration where the person has undergone sex affirmation surgery; and". (2) After section 3(e) of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 insert— "(ea) the issue of documents acknowledging the identity of certain persons who have undergone sex affirmation surgery; and". 4. Definitions In section 4(1) of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 insert the following definitions— ' "interstate recognition certificate" means a current certificate identifying a person as being of a particular sex that is issued under the Gender Reassignment Act 2000 of Western Australia, the Sexual Reassignment Act 1988 of South Australia or any other law prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of Part 4A of this Act; "sex affirmation surgery" means a surgical procedure involving the alteration of a person's reproductive organs carried out for the purpose of assisting the person to be considered to be a member of the opposite sex;'. s. 3 See: Act No. 43/1996. Reprint No. 1 as at 18 February 1999 and amending Act No. 74/2000. LawToday: www.dms. dpc.vic. gov.au -- 4 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 4 5. New Part 4A inserted After Part 4 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 insert— 'PART 4A—RECOGNITION OF SEX (TRANSSEXUALISM) Division 1—Persons born in Victoria 30A. Application to alter Register (1) An unmarried person— (a) who is 18 years or over; and (b) whose birth is registered in Victoria; and (c) who has undergone sex affirmation surgery— may apply to the Registrar for the record of the person's sex in the person's birth registration to be altered. (2) An application must be in the form approved by the Registrar and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee (if any). 30B. Statutory declarations by doctors (1) An application under section 30A must include statutory declarations, verifying that the applicant has undergone sex affirmation surgery, by— (a) 2 doctors; or (b) 2 medical practitioners registered under the law of the place where the sex affirmation surgery was performed— who performed the surgery or provided other medical treatment to the applicant in s. 5 -- 5 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 5 connection with the applicant's transsexualism. Note 1: An application does not need to include these statutory declarations if the applicant has already obtained an interstate recognition certificate (see sub-section (4)). Note 2: For "doctor", see section 4(1). (2) However, if the sex affirmation surgery was performed outside Australia and the Registrar considers it is not reasonably practicable for the applicant to obtain those statutory declarations, the Registrar may instead require that the application include statutory declarations by 2 persons each of whom is either— (a) a medical practitioner registered under the law of the place where the surgery was performed who will verify that the practitioner has examined medical records, that he or she believes to be authentic, confirming that the surgery was performed; or (b) a doctor, or medical practitioner registered under the law of an Australian State or Territory, who the Registrar considers is adequately experienced in treating persons in connection with transsexualism and who will verify that the applicant appears to have undergone sex affirmation surgery. (3) A statutory declaration by a medical practitioner registered under the law of a place outside Australia must be witnessed by a person authorised under the law of that place to witness statutory declarations. s. 5 -- 6 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 6 (4) This section does not apply to an application if the applicant— (a) has been issued with an interstate recognition certificate; and (b) includes that certificate in the application. 30C. Alteration of Register (1) The Registrar must determine an application under section 30A by altering the record of the applicant's sex in the applicant's birth registration or refusing to do so. (2) Before determining the application, the Registrar may require the applicant to provide such further information or documentation as the Registrar reasonably considers is necessary. (3) The Registrar cannot make the alteration to the birth registration if the applicant is married. 30D. Issue of new birth certificate After the record of a person's sex in the person's birth registration is altered, any certificate issued by the Registrar concerning that birth registration— (a) must state the person's sex in accordance with the record as altered; and (b) must not state that the record of the person's sex has been altered; and (c) must not state the person's former name (if any). s. 5 -- 7 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 7 Division 2—Victorian residents born elsewhere 30E. Application for document acknowledging identity (1) An unmarried person— (a) who is 18 years or over; and (b) whose principal place of residence is, and has been for at least 12 months, in Victoria; and (c) whose birth is registered in a place other than Victoria; and (d) who has undergone sex affirmation surgery— may apply to the Registrar for a document that acknowledges the person's name and sex. (2) An application must include statutory declarations as described in section 30B or an interstate recognition certificate issued to the applicant. (3) An application must be in the form approved by the Registrar and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee (if any). 30F. Issue of document acknowledging identity (1) The Registrar must determine an application under section 30E by issuing a document acknowledging the applicant's name and sex or refusing to do so. (2) Before determining the application, the Registrar may require the applicant to provide such further information or documentation as the Registrar reasonably considers is necessary. s. 5 -- 8 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 8 (3) The document must not state the applicant's former sex or former name (if any). (4) The Registrar may, if he or she considers it appropriate to do so, include in the document any other information concerning the applicant's birth that the applicant has requested (in writing) be included. (5) The document must include a statement to the effect that it is not to be taken to certify the particulars of any entry in the Register. (6) The Registrar cannot issue a document under this section if the applicant is married. Division 3—Other matters 30G. Effect of alteration of Register and interstate recognition certificates (1) If the record of a person's sex in the person's birth registration is altered under this Part the person is a person of the sex as altered. (2) If an interstate recognition certificate is issued to a person the person is a person of the sex stated in the certificate. (3) Sub-sections (1) and (2) have effect for the purposes of, but subject to, the law of Victoria. 30H. Re-issue of interstate birth certificates To avoid doubt, the validity in Victoria of a certificate that— (a) is issued under a law of another State or a Territory; and s. 5 -- 9 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Part 2—Amendments Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 9 (b) concerns the birth registration of a person— is not affected merely because it was issued as a result of the person having undergone sex affirmation surgery.'. 6. Access to Register In section 48(2)(b) of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996, after "information" insert "(in particular, whether it concerns a birth registration that has been altered under Part 4A)". 7. Registrar to provide certain information to Minister In section 56 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996, for "report of the number of registrable events registered during that financial year." substitute— "report of— (a) the number of registrable events registered during that financial year; and (b) the number of occasions on which the Registrar altered the Register under section 30C, or issued a document under section 30F, during that financial year.". ═══════════════ s. 6 -- 10 of 11 -- Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Amendment) Act 2004 Act No. 29/2004 10 ENDNOTES † Minister's second reading speech— Legislative Assembly: 22 April 2004 Legislative Council: 12 May 2004 The long title for the Bill for this Act was "to amend the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 to provide for the recognition of the sex of persons who have undergone sex affirmation surgery and for other purposes." Endnotes -- 11 of 11 --