The American Farm Bureau estimates that farmers spend about $20 million annually to comply with federal regulation. However, help may soon be on the way. The Government Paperwork Elimination Act, which was signed into law on October 21, 1998, established a deadline of October 21, 2003, to provide individuals or entities that deal with federal government agencies the option to submit information or transact with the agency electronically and to maintain records electronically, when practicable. It also addresses the matter of private employers being able to use electronic means to store, and file with federal agencies, information pertaining to their employees.