EA with a bite

The Defense Department comptroller now faces violations of the Antideficiency Act and is subject to criminal penalties and fines if he authorizes funds for any system that is worth $1 million or more and is not compliant with the Defense Department business enterprise architecture, said Marilyn Fleming, chief architect for the department's Business Management Modernization Program.

Lawmakers included the language in the 2005 defense authorization bill. Some people think the $1 million threshold is too low for defense systems, Fleming said. But it will help the Defense Department ensure that all its systems meet architecture standards, she said.