On March 18, 2009, the New Hampshire House of Representatives Judiciary Committee sent a same-sex marriage bill, "HB 436", to the floor of the House without a recommendation following a tied 10-10 vote. On March 26, the House voted 182-183, but after a motion to reconsider the first vote, the measure passed 186-179. On April 23, the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 3-2 recommended that the full Senate defeat the bill, but a week later the Senate approved an amended version of the bill 13-11. The amended bill passed the House on May 6, 2009. Governor John Lynch had yet to take a position on the legislation and had five days to exercise his veto. The bill recognized out-of-state civil unions as marriages. Couples who had entered into civil unions would be able to apply for a marriage license, however if they did not apply for a marriage certificate their civil unions would automatically be converted to marriages on January 1, 2011.