New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (Creative Commons)

The bill now goes to Christie, who has outwardly said he opposes gay marriage and would veto the bill if it passed both legislative houses.

Currently six states recognize gay marriage, including New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington D.C. 

In early February, California's Prop 8 voter initiative banning same-sex couples from marrying was struck down by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Many believe it is a case that will ultimately be heard by the Supreme Court. 

As for New Jersey, Christie and many state Republican lawmakers want to put the issue to a popular vote. 

According to the Associated Press:

"The bill would need several Republican votes in each house to override the governor; Christie himself essentially guaranteed that that won't happen.

"With that in mind, Democrats who identified same-sex marriage as their No. 1 priority for the two-year legislative session that began in January have adopted a longer view. They say there's no rush for an override vote, especially because the Legislature has been unsuccessful in every prior attempt to override Christie, most notably to reinstate a surcharge on millionaires.

"Instead, they plan to bide their time in hopes that support for gay marriage — currently 52-42 percent in New Jersey, according to one recent voter poll — will continue to grow."

In Washington state, the governor signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage into law Monday. A similar initiative is working through Maryland's statehouse.