Lobbyists, consumer groups, and other constituencies have begun weighing in on proposed legislation that would make printed images of checks the legal equivalent of the real things.

The Federal Reserve Board drafted the proposal, and, when it was submitted to the House and Senate banking committees on Dec. 17, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan urged legislators that it be turned into law.

A nationwide survey conducted by Boston-based strategy firm DOVE CONSULTING shows that since September 11th, 7% of U.S. consumers signed up for online billing or increased the number of bills they are now receiving online, based on concerns over handling mail or late bill payment. Another 32% of survey respondents said they started to think about receiving statements online in the weeks following the anthrax scares.

"The motivation is simple," says Richard Crone, VP at Dove Consulting. "People want to protect themselves and their families, and they want to make sure their bills arrive on time…paying bills online meets both those needs".

Another researcher, ABERDEEN GROUP Inc. in Boston, expects a significant boost in EBPP services and technologies. The firm says one banking company's EBPP service saw its consumer enrollments jump 20% in October over enrollments for the preceding three months.

"Electronic bill and payment systems are an important risk-management strategy given the potential for disruption," says David Alschuler, senior vice president at Aberdeen.