Set for deliberation in the House of Representatives, the proposed legislation is expected to be enacted by the end of the current Diet session.

Having no children is a condition under Japan's current sex-change law, enacted in July 2003, to enable people with GID to alter their sex in their family registries.

The bill basically reflects a governing Liberal Democratic Party proposal in April in response to demand from parents with GID wishing to change their registered sex.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan proposed that any parents with GID -- regardless whether their children have attained adulthood -- be allowed to change their registered sex.

The LDP and DPJ, in a bid to iron out their differences over the condition, agreed to attach a supplementary provision to the revised sex-change law, calling for the revised condition to be further reviewed if deemed necessary.

The current law was enacted to help remove social obstacles people with GID encounter in daily life in Japan, such as in employment, voting and overseas travel, due to differences between the identity under which they live and the sex listed in their official documents.

The law allows people to change their sex registration if at least two doctors have identified them as having a psychological makeup different than their biological sex and a desire to live as the opposite sex both physically and socially.

But it stipulates that applicants must have no children, be 20 or older, unmarried, and have reproductive organs no longer functioning as a result of sex-change surgery.

The "no-child provision" was included after heeding concern from some lawmakers that a change of sex on the part of people with children may make their family life disorderly.