Money for ferries and for computers for the Island County Sheriff’s Office is included in a bill headed for a House vote this week, U. S. Rep. Rick Larsen said Monday.

The funds, along with others for Snohomish and Skagit county law enforcement, dredging and flood control priorities in 2009, are listed in an omnibus appropriations bill negotiated by House and Senate leaders.

The bill must pass both houses of Congress before it can be signed into law.

It includes $950,000 for Washington State Ferries to build propulsion systems, and $80,000 to purchase and install additional laptops and software for the Island County Sheriff’s Office to use in its patrol cars.

“In Washington state, ferries are a critical part of our transportation system,” said Larsen, a 2nd Congressional District Democrat from Everett.

“And in this time of tight budgets, we must ensure that local law enforcement officers

have the tools they need to keep us safe,” Larsen added.