Defense bill could send $91 million to Utah

Some $91 million could be coming to Utah's universities and defense installations under the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill, which Wednesday passed the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, announced.

The U.S. Senate is expected to debate the bill beginning today. If it passes, House and Senate conferees will meet to reconcile differences in the bill.

The Senate bill includes:

• $30 million for Hill Air Force Base programs, including new F-16 maintenance facilities and a program supporting the nation's Minuteman III missile system.

• $10.5 million will go to Utah State University, Brigham Young University and University of Utah for defense-related research, and to Western Governors University to help military personnel receive college credits for skills learned while serving their country.

• $12 million to ATK-Thiokol to design and test the Submarine-Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

• $4.7 million for research of alternative delivery methods for vaccines

• $3.5 million for research of hybrid-electric Army vehicles.