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S. 1884: Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025
119th Congress · introduced 2025-05-22 · Law · Latest: Became Public Law No: 119-82.
federal
Official title
Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025
Plain summary
Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 This act permanently extends and expands judicial authority under the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016. The law allows and establishes procedures for civil claims and causes of action to recover artwork and other property lost between 1933 and 1945 because of Nazi persecution. Among the changes, the act removes the deadline for filing civil claims or causes of action. Currently, the filing deadline is December 31, 2026. (Claims must still be filed within six years of the claimant's discovery of the property in question.) The act permits courts to exercise jurisdiction over civil claims or causes of action against a foreign state without regard to the nationality or citizenship of the alleged victim. The art or property at issue must still have a connection to the foreign state's commercial activities in the United States. Additionally, the act authorizes nationwide service of process, which allows courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over defendants in any judicial district where they may be found, reside, have an agent, or transact business. Finally, the act limits the defenses that may be asserted against civil claims or causes of action, including by prohibiting defenses based on the passage of time, including equitable defenses such as laches (i.e., unreasonable delays); and discretionary bases for dismissal that are unrelated to the merits of the claim, including international comity (i.e., deference to the laws of other countries). These changes apply to pending and future civil claims or causes of action.
Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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Official text
Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025
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Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · 21 cosponsors
Money: CBO cost estimate: S. 1884, Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 (2026-02-05) No linked contracts or vendors yet.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Jurisdiction
- The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119s1884.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/s>
Record fed-us-cong119-s1884 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills