It also implements several recommendations from the Law Commission's review of burial and cremation law, and makes it easier for people to change the sex on their birth certificates without having to go through the Family Court or show evidence of medical treatment to change their sex.

[3] Key changes include: The bill passed its first reading on 5 December 2017 and was referred to the Governance and Administration Committee.

[5] On 12 August 2021, the bill passed its second reading with support from all parties represented in the New Zealand Parliament.

[10] In 2018, the feminist advocacy group Speak Up for Women was formed to oppose the sex self-identification clauses within the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill.

[11][12] The group has been criticised as transphobic by critics and faced difficulty in hosting meetings at municipal venues in Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Dunedin, Lower Hutt, and Wellington.