WASHINGTON – Legislation introduced Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives would establish a tax on soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks, reinvigorating a national debate over the government’s role in shaping the diets of Americans.

The bill, known as the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax or “SWEET” Act of 2014, was authored by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D–CT) and would amend the Internal Revenue Code to establish an excise tax on sweetened beverages. It would impose a 1% tax per every 4.2 grams of caloric sweetener added to beverages, and would apply to manufacturers, producers and importers of the products. The revenue would be used toward prevention, treatment and related public health research.

A spokeswoman for DeLauro told The Hill newspaper that the lawmaker is in talks with members of the Senate regarding a possible companion bill. In pushing the federal bill, DeLauro argues that sugary drinks represent a public health issue that is fair game for Congress. However, previous local efforts to regulate sweetened drinks have failed, largely due to legal rulings that that such efforts are an overreach on the part of the government.