Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025

The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 would strengthen and extend the original 2016 law that allows Holocaust survivors and their families to pursue civil claims to recover artwork and other property stolen by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945. The bill would remove the current December 31, 2026 deadline for filing claims, though survivors would still need to file within six years of discovering the stolen property. It would also permit courts to exercise jurisdiction over claims against foreign states without regard to the nationality of victims, provided the art has a connection to the foreign state's commercial activities in the United States.

The legislation would limit legal defenses that have historically been used to block or delay claims. Specifically, it would prohibit defenses based on the passage of time, including equitable defenses such as laches (unreasonable delays), and would eliminate discretionary dismissals unrelated to the merits of claims, including international comity arguments that defer to other countries' laws. These changes would apply to both pending and future civil cases.

The bill addresses long-standing obstacles that have prevented families from recovering art looted during the Holocaust, particularly works now held in U.S. museums and collections. By requiring cases to be decided on their factual merits rather than dismissed on technical legal grounds, the legislation aims to ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs have a fair opportunity to recover stolen cultural property. Both chambers have passed versions of the bill and are currently working to reconcile differences between them.