Defense Dept. looks to electronic billing

The Department of Defense is considering a new rule that would require contractors to submit requests for payment electronically. The rule would also require Defense officials receiving such requests to process the forms and supporting documents electronically. It outlines three acceptable electronic forms: a Web invoicing system run by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the workflow site run by the Defense Information Systems Agency; or the American National Standards Institute's electronic data interchange formats.

Comments on the proposal are being accepted through a form on the agency's AcqWeb site. The Secretary of Defense could exempt some contractors if the electronic method is deemed "unduly burdensome."