 The bill was passed on 17 May, signed by President Tsai Ing-wen on 22 May and took effect on 24 May 2019 (the last day possible under the court ruling).As of 3 July 2017, same-sex couples can legally register their relationships, through special "partnership registrations" (), in 18 of Taiwan's cities and counties that account for 94 percent of the country's population.However, the rights afforded in these partnerships are very limited; there are as many as 498 exclusive rights related to marriage that include property rights, social welfare and medical care.