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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
South Australia
Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Gender
Identity) Amendment Bill 2016
A BILL FOR
An Act to amend the
Births,
Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996
.
Contents
Part 2—Amendment of Births, Deaths and
Marriages Registration Act 1996
4Amendment of section 3—Objects of
Act
5Amendment of section
4—Definitions
Part 4A—Change of sex or gender
identity
Division 2—Applicants born in South
Australia
29IApplication to change sex or
gender identity
29JApplication to change
child's sex or gender identity
29KMaterial supporting
application
29LChange of sex or
gender identity
29MSpecial
provision relating to access to Register and issue of extracts and
certificates
29NUse of old birth
certificate to deceive
Division 3—South Australian
residents born outside Australia
29OApplication for identity
acknowledgement certificate
29PApplication for
identity acknowledgement certificate in respect of child
29QIssue of identity
acknowledgement certificate
29REffect of identity
acknowledgement certificate
29SRegistrar may
limit number of applications
29TEntitlement not
affected by change of sex or gender identity
29UChange of sex or
gender identity—interaction with other laws
Schedule 1—Repeal and transitional
provision
1Repeal of Sexual Reassignment
Act 1988
The Parliament of South Australia enacts as
follows:
This Act may be cited as the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration
(Gender Identity) Amendment Act 2016.
This Act will come into operation on a day to be fixed by
proclamation.
In this Act, a provision under a heading referring to the amendment of a
specified Act amends the Act so specified.
Part 2—Amendment
of Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration
Act 1996
4—Amendment
of section 3—Objects of Act
Section 3—after paragraph (b) insert:
(ba) the registration of changes in sex or gender identity; and
5—Amendment
of section 4—Definitions
Section 4, definition of registrable event—after
"name," insert:
change of sex or gender identity,
After Part 4 insert:
Part 4A—Change of sex or gender
identity
Division 1—Preliminary
29H—Preliminary
(1) In this Part—
clinical treatment—clinical treatment need not involve
invasive medical treatment (and may include or be constituted by
counselling);
designated certificate means a certificate relating to the
recognition of sex or gender identity issued under the law of another
jurisdiction and recognised by the Registrar for the purposes of this
Part;
identity acknowledgement certificate means a certificate
issued under
section 29Q
;
medical practitioner means a person registered under the
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law to practise in the medical
profession (other than as a student);
prescribed notification means a notification issued by
another registering authority and recognised by the Registrar for the purposes
of this Part;
psychologist means a person registered under the Health
Practitioner Regulation National Law to practise in the psychology
profession (other than as a student).
(2) For the purposes of this Part, a reference to a change of a person's
sex or gender identity includes, in the case of a person whose sex or gender
identity has not been determined, a reference to the determination of the
person's sex or gender identity.
Division 2—Applicants born in South
Australia
29I—Application to change sex or gender
identity
(1) Subject to this
Part, a person of or above the age of 18 years whose birth is registered in
the State may apply to the Registrar, in a form approved by the Registrar, for
registration of a change of the person's sex or gender identity.
(2) An application under this section must—
(a) specify a sex or gender identity of a kind recognised by the
regulations that the person is seeking to have registered; and
(b) include the material required under
section 29K
.
(3) An application may be made under this section even if the person is
married.
29J—Application to change child's sex or gender
identity
(1) Subject to this
Part, a child under the age of 18 years, or a parent or guardian of a child
under the age of 18 years, may apply to the Registrar, in a form approved
by the Registrar, for registration of a change of the child's sex or gender
identity.
(2) However, an
application under
subsection (1)
may only be made if—
(a) the child's birth is registered in the State; and
(b) the Court
approves the making of the application.
(3) An application under
subsection (1)
must—
(a) specify a sex or gender identity of a kind recognised by the
regulations that the person is seeking to have registered; and
(b) include the material required under
section 29K
.
(4) The Court may, on application by the person who made the application
under
subsection (1)
, grant an approval for the purposes of
subsection (2)(b)
if the Court is satisfied that it is in the best interests of the child
that the approval be granted.
(5) In determining whether or not to grant an approval, the Court must
take into account—
(a) whether the child understands the meaning and implications of the
making of an application to the Registrar; and
(b) whether the child has the capacity to consent to the application and,
if so, the child's position in relation to the making of the application;
and
(c) whether the child is receiving or has received appropriate clinical
treatment in relation to the child's sex or gender identity; and
(d) whether a designated certificate or a prescribed notification has been
provided.
(6) In proceedings under this section, the Court is not bound by the rules
of evidence, but may inform itself as the Court thinks fit.
(7) A child is to be taken to have the capacity to make an application
under this section.
29K—Material supporting
application
An application under this Division must be accompanied by—
(a) a statement by
a medical practitioner or psychologist certifying that the person is receiving
or has received appropriate clinical treatment in relation to the person's sex
or gender identity (including in the case of a person whose sex or gender
identity has now become determinate); or
(b) in the case of an applicant in relation to whom a designated
certificate or a prescribed notification has been issued—
(i) a copy of the designated certificate or prescribed notification (as
the case may be); and
(ii) a statement—
(A) of a kind described in
paragraph (a)
; or
(B) by a medical practitioner or psychologist certifying that the person
is receiving or has received appropriate clinical treatment in the jurisdiction
that issued the designated certificate or prescribed notification.
29L—Change of sex or gender
identity
If, on an application under this Division, the Registrar is satisfied that
the applicant is receiving or has received appropriate clinical treatment in
relation to their sex or gender identity, the Registrar may make an entry about
the change of the person's sex or gender identity in the Register, including the
particulars required by regulation.
29M—Special provision relating to access to
Register and issue of extracts and certificates
(1) Subject to this section, an extract or certificate issued by the
Registrar in relation to a person after the registration of a change in the
person's sex or gender identity under this Part must only disclose and certify
up-to-date particulars contained in the relevant entry.
(2) Where registration of a change in a person's sex or gender identity
has occurred under this Part, the Registrar—
(a) must retain on the
Register the particulars contained in the entry in the Register relating to the
person's sex or gender identity before the registration of the change;
but
(b) must not—
(i) allow access to the particulars referred to in
paragraph (a)
; or
(ii) issue an extract or certificate from the Register showing the
person's sex or gender identity before the registration of the change,
unless application for access to the information or issue of the extract or
certificate is made by—
(iii) the person; or
(iv) a child of the person; or
(v) a person or body specified by regulation.
29N—Use of old birth certificate to
deceive
(1) A person who—
(a) produces a birth certificate to someone else that shows a person's sex
or gender identity before the registration of a change in the person's sex or
gender identity under this Part; and
(b) produces the certificate with intent to deceive,
is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: $10 000 or imprisonment for 2 years.
(2) It is not a defence to a prosecution for an offence against this
section that the document in relation to which the prosecution is brought refers
to the defendant.
(3) In this section—
birth certificate includes—
(a) a copy of a birth certificate; and
(b) an extract from a birth certificate.
Division 3—South Australian residents born
outside Australia
29O—Application for identity acknowledgement
certificate
(1) Subject to this
Part, a person—
(a) who is of or above the age of 18 years; and
(b) who was born outside Australia; and
(c) whose birth is not registered in another State or Territory;
and
(d) who has been
resident in the State for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before
the date of the application,
may apply to the Registrar, in a form approved by the Registrar, for an
identity acknowledgement certificate.
(2) An application under this section must—
(a) specify a sex or gender identity of a kind recognised by the
regulations that the applicant is seeking to have specified on the identity
acknowledgement certificate; and
(b) include a statement by a medical practitioner or psychologist
certifying that the person is receiving or has received appropriate clinical
treatment in relation to the person's gender identity.
(3) An application may be made under this section even if the person is
married.
29P—Application for identity acknowledgement
certificate in respect of child
(1) Subject to this
Part, a child under the age of 18 years, or a parent or guardian of a child
under the age of 18 years, may apply to the Registrar, in a form approved
by the Registrar, for an identity acknowledgement certificate.
(2) However, an
application under
subsection (1)
may only be made if—
(a) the child was born outside Australia; and
(b) the child's birth is not registered in another State or Territory;
and
(c) the child has
been resident in the State for at least 12 consecutive months immediately
before the date of the application; and
(d) the Court
approves the making of the application.
(3) An application under this section must—
(a) specify a sex or gender identity of a kind recognised by the
regulations that the applicant is seeking to have recorded specified on the
identity acknowledgement certificate; and
(b) include a statement by a medical practitioner or psychologist
certifying that the child is receiving or has received appropriate clinical
treatment in relation to the child's gender identity.
(4) The Court may, on application by the person who made the application
under
subsection (1)
, grant an approval for the purposes of
subsection (2)(b)
if the Court is satisfied that it is in the best interests of the child
that the approval be granted.
(5) In determining whether or not to grant an approval, the Court must
take into account—
(a) whether the child understands the meaning and implications of the
making of an application to the Registrar; and
(b) whether the child has the capacity to consent to the application and,
if so, the child's position in relation to the making of the application;
and
(c) whether the child is receiving or has received appropriate clinical
treatment in relation to the child's sex or gender identity.
(6) In proceedings under this section, the Court is not bound by the rules
of evidence, but may inform itself as the Court thinks fit.
(7) A child is to be taken to have the capacity to make an application
under this section.
29Q—Issue of identity acknowledgement
certificate
If, on an application for an identity acknowledgement certificate, the
Registrar is satisfied that the person is receiving or has received appropriate
clinical treatment in relation to the person's sex or gender identity, the
Registrar may issue a certificate that acknowledges the person's sex or gender
identity.
29R—Effect of identity acknowledgement
certificate
If an identity acknowledgement certificate is issued to a person under this
Division, the person is of the sex or gender identity specified in the identity
acknowledgement certificate.
Division 4—General
provisions
29S—Registrar may limit number of
applications
(1) The Registrar may determine and publish on a website determined by the
Registrar a limit on the number of applications that may be made under this Part
in respect of a person.
(2) If—
(a) the number of applications that have been made under this Part in
respect of a person is equal to or greater than the limit determined by the
Registrar; and
(b) a further application in respect of the person is made,
the Registrar may reject the application.
(3) A person aggrieved by a decision of the Registrar to reject an
application under this section may appeal against the decision to the
Court.
(4) An appeal under this section must be made within 28 days after
the person received notice of the decision of the Registrar to reject the
application.
(5) On an appeal under this section, the Court may—
(a) confirm the Registrar's decision; or
(b) set aside the Registrar's decision and send the matter back to the
Registrar with a direction that the application be accepted and dealt with in
accordance with this Part.
29T—Entitlement not affected by change of sex or
gender identity
A person who has an entitlement under a will, trust or other instrument
does not lose the entitlement only because of a change in the person's sex or
gender identity or the issue of an identity acknowledgement certificate under
this Part, unless the will, trust or other instrument provides
otherwise.
29U—Change of sex or gender
identity—interaction with other laws
A person who has changed their sex or gender identity or has been issued an
identity acknowledgement certificate under this Part will be taken to have
satisfied a requirement under another Act or law that the person provide details
of their sex if the person provides details of their sex or gender identity as
changed.
Schedule 1—Repeal
and transitional provision
1—Repeal
of Sexual Reassignment
Act 1988
The
Sexual
Reassignment Act 1988
is repealed.
Despite the repeal of the
Sexual
Reassignment Act 1988
, a recognition certificate issued under that Act in force immediately
before the commencement of this clause will continue in force and effect and may
be registered under section 9 of that Act as if that section had not been
repealed by this Act.