On July 2, 2013, the Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a measure that could legalize same-sex civil unions as part of a larger bill amending the "General Young Person's Act" (). The passing of the bill was widely acknowledged to be a mistake by legislators unaware of its implications; those voting for the bill included legislators vocally opposed to LGBT rights. The mistake, however, did not impact the legality of the bill. The bill changed article 4(m) of the Act to recognize: "The right to recognition, without discrimination contrary to human dignity, of the social and economic effects of domestic partnerships which constitute in a public, notorious, unique and stable manner, with legal capacity for marriage for more than three years." The bill also changed the country's Family Code to allow couples living together for three years or more to be recognized as having a common-law marriage, which would grant them the benefits of legal partners such as alimony. The final approved version of the bill did not give marriage a definition limited by sex. On July 4, 2013, President Laura Chinchilla signed the bill into law. A statement from the Minister of Communication said that it was not up to her to veto the bill and that the responsibility for interpreting it lay with legislators and judges.