Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator John Cornyn
To President
Summary
Prevents time-based and other non-merits defenses from blocking claims for Nazi-looted art. This law changes who can sue and how courts handle claims about artwork or property lost during World War II because of Nazi persecution.
Show full summary
- Families and heirs: Heirs, victims, and their families can bring recovery claims even decades after the loss. Courts may not dismiss those suits using time-based defenses like laches, adverse possession, acquisitive prescription, or usucapion.
- Current holders and states: Museums, dealers, and governments can no longer rely on discretionary dismissal doctrines such as the act of state doctrine, international comity, forum non conveniens, or prudential exhaustion. Defendants can be served nationwide in cases filed under the law.
- Courts and pending cases: The law treats covered claims as involving rights violated by international law for purposes of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Its rules apply to claims already pending at enactment and to claims filed afterward, and it includes a severability clause to preserve the rest if one part is struck down.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Easier to recover Nazi-looted art
If enacted, this would let people sue in U.S. courts to recover art or property lost to Nazi persecution. It would apply no matter the victim’s nationality and despite the domestic takings rule. These suits would be treated as involving violations of international law. For timely claims, courts would not use time-based defenses like laches or adverse possession. Courts also would not dismiss on non-merits grounds like forum non conveniens or international comity. Defendants could be served anywhere in the United States. These rules would apply to cases already pending on enactment and to new cases filed after that date.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Cornyn
TX • R
Cosponsors
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Thomas Tillis
NC • R
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Cory Booker
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 5/22/2025
John Fetterman
PA • D
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Eric Schmitt
MO • R
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Katie Britt
AL • R
Sponsored 5/22/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 6/3/2025
Adam Schiff
CA • D
Sponsored 6/4/2025
David McCormick
PA • R
Sponsored 9/19/2025
Elissa Slotkin
MI • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Kirsten Gillibrand
NY • D
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Bernie Moreno
OH • R
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Chuck Grassley
IA • R
Sponsored 10/20/2025
Ted Cruz
TX • R
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Christopher Coons
DE • D
Sponsored 11/6/2025
Richard Durbin
IL • D
Sponsored 11/6/2025
Lindsey Graham
SC • R
Sponsored 11/6/2025
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 12/8/2025
Jacky Rosen
NV • D
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Raphael Warnock
GA • D
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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