A proposal to legalize gay marriage in England and Wales will face its first vote in Parliament next month.

The measure was introduced Thursday by MP Maria Miller in the lower chamber, the House of Commons, where it was given its first reading, a simple formality without debate.

Debate on the bill in the Commons will take place during a second reading on February 5, the BBC reported.

The Commons consists of 650 members known as Members of Parliament (MP). According to research by the Coalition for Equal Marriage, a majority of MPs (330) have publicly declared their support for the marriage reform. A December poll conducted for the Guardian showed a majority (62%) of Britons favor legalizing marriage equality.

Prime Minister David Cameron has strongly backed the marriage reform.

(Related: David Cameron on gay marriage: Gay people should participate in “great institution.”)

The Church of England and Church in Wales will be exempt from the legislation's provision allowing all religious organizations to marry gay and lesbian couples. Miller told the BBC that the exclusion was to avoid a clash between Canon Law and UK civil law. Several religious groups support the legislation, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism.

The measure will face a third reading in the Commons before heading to the House of Lords.