Topeka ? A House committee on Wednesday approved a bill to help build three research facilities, including a biomedical center at Kansas University.

Kansas Board of Regents Chairman Clay Blair said the House Appropriations Committee’s action was “an exciting first step.”

The measure, approved by the committee on a voice vote, now goes to the full House for consideration.

Under the bill, the state would issue $110 million in bonds to build the biomedical center, a food safety laboratory at Kansas State University and an aviation facility at Wichita State University.

The state would be responsible for paying off $50 million of the bonds, and the universities would pick up the rest of the costs.

Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, who is an associate vice chancellor at KU, said the proposed facilities would strengthen research in Kansas by attracting more federal research dollars.

Other committee members also praised the measure as necessary to help the schools and the state economy.

But at least one committee member had problems with provisions in the bill that exempt the projects from some state laws dealing with public disclosure and selecting low bidders.

“It makes no sense,” Rep. Thomas Klein, D-Wichita, said.

But Blair said the projects can be done quicker and better by departing from the state’s traditional building process.

Blair said under the bill, the construction company and project designers will be together at every step of the process to ensure a higher quality job.