This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

An Iowa House sub-committee approved a bill Monday that would make it more difficult for couples to get divorced.

House File 338 only applies to marriages involving children. When the divorce impacts a child, the bill says one of five things must be in place to dissolve the marriage.

They include adultery, physical or sexual abuse, and imprisonment. The bill would also allow divorce if one partner is missing for more than a year or the pair has lived apart for more than two years.

“My attempt with this bill is to keep families together to keep moms and dad in the same homes with their children and to have those children raised by a mom and a dad,” says Rep. Ted Gassman.

Opponents of the bill say there are too many negative consequences for women if this bill moves forward.

The bill now goes on to the full House Judiciary Committee.