# 119-s-1884: Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025

119-s-1884, Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX); status became_law (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1884
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1884
- Congress: 119
- Title: Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2025-05-22
- Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 21
- Policy area: Law
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Ensure Nazi-looted art claims are decided on the merits, not blocked by time-based defenses.** The law broadens who can sue, bars a wide set of delay-based and other non-merits defenses, and allows plaintiffs to serve defendants nationwide. - Families and heirs: Survivors and heirs gain stronger access to recovery because defenses based on passage of time—laches, adverse possession, acquisitive prescription, and usucapion—cannot be applied to any claim that is otherwise timely. The change covers claims pending on the law's date and those filed afterward. - Current possessors and institutions: People or institutions holding disputed works face greater exposure because plaintiffs may serve process in any federal district where a defendant is found, resides, has an agent, or transacts business. Doctrines like act of state, international comity, forum non conveniens, and prudential exhaustion cannot be used to dismiss otherwise timely claims. - Courts and foreign states: Civil actions under the law are treated as involving rights violated under international law for purposes of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The law also includes a severability provision so remaining rules stay in effect if part is invalidated.

## Cosponsors (21)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO] (R-MO), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] (R-AL), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA] (R-PA), 2025-09-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH] (R-OH), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] (R-IA), 2025-10-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-11-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-11-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] (R-SC), 2025-11-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] (R-FL), 2025-12-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier to sue foreign states over art: benefit, low. Covered claims are treated as involving violations of international law under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. This lets claimants sue foreign states and their agencies in U.S. courts, regardless of the victim’s nationality. Plaintiffs can serve defendants anywhere in the U.S. where they are f…
- Stronger claims to recover looted art: benefit, low. The law blocks time-based defenses like laches and adverse possession in timely claims for Holocaust-looted art. It also bars non-merits dismissals like act of state, international comity, and forum non conveniens. These rules apply to claims that were pending on enactment and to new claims filed a…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.
- 119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States Senator for the State of Idaho.
- 119-sres-585: A resolution honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

## Sources
- [119-s-1884 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1884)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-723)
- [119-sres-585: A resolution honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Ben Nighthorse Camp…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-585)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1884 (as of 2026-08-11).