Topeka ? A U.S. House committee has approved funding for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan.

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday included $75 million for construction of the biosecurity lab in its budget for the next fiscal year.

The appropriations bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

The committee also recommended releasing a total of $90 million that had been previously appropriated for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years. The Topeka Capital Journal reports $40 million of that money would be used for construction of a central utility plant, with the other $50 million for general construction of the facility on the Kansas State University campus.

The $1.14 billion National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility would be a center for research of deadly animal diseases.