Sen. Villa backs SB3321 to permit local governments to use third-party vendors for credit card remittance

During the 104th General Assembly on May 31, 2026, Sen. Karina Villa (D-25th) voted in favor of SB3321—a measure authorizing local governments to work with third-party vendors for credit card payment remittance. The Illinois Senate reported the bill passed unanimously, 57-0.

The bill text describes the policy as "LOC GOV-CREDIT CARD AGREEMENTS."

The explanation below is based directly on the bill text and aims to clarify its details.

This legislation updates the Local Governmental Acceptance of Credit Cards Act, enabling local governing bodies that take credit card payments to contract with outside software vendors to ensure accurate remittances. It also stipulates that a government entity’s agreement with a financial institution or payment processor may not block or limit the entity from utilizing either the payment processing system created in the State Treasurer Act or any other system it selects and procures. The act becomes effective immediately upon enactment.

The formal legislative action for SB3321 was 'House Floor Amendment No. 2 Senate Concurs'.

Villa joined the Illinois State Senate in 2021, representing the 25th Senate District as a Democrat, following Jim Oberweis.

Legislation in Illinois follows a multi-stage process starting with introduction in either chamber, followed by committee hearings, floor discussion, and votes in both the House and Senate before moving to the governor for signature or veto. The General Assembly meets on a two-year schedule, and though thousands of bills are filed during each session, only a small percentage become law.