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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 4235

Nazi-Looted Art: Removing Legal Barriers to Reclaim Stolen Property

To clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, to appropriately limit the application of defenses based on the passage of time and other non-merits defenses to claims under that Act.

9 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill updates a 2016 law to make sure families can sue to get back art and property stolen by Nazis during World War II. It stops courts from dismissing these cases just because the theft happened a long time ago.
  • It helps the descendants of Holocaust victims who are trying to reclaim family heirlooms currently held by museums or private collectors. It ensures their cases are decided on the facts of the theft rather than legal technicalities.
  • In the past, some courts have thrown out these lawsuits because too many years had passed or because of complicated rules about international relations. This bill explicitly bans those excuses, forcing courts to look at who actually owns the art.
  • The bill also clarifies that it does not matter if the original victim was a citizen of Germany or another country at the time. This fixes a loophole that previously blocked some families from seeking justice in U.S. courts.
  • If passed, these new rules would apply to cases that are already in court right now, as well as any new lawsuits filed in the future. It also makes it easier to serve legal papers to defendants across the country.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jun 27, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jun 27, 2025

Introduced in House

Related Bills

1 bill
S. 1884Related bill

Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025

Mar 16 — Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

To clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, to appropriately limit the application of defenses based on the passage of time and other non-merits defenses to claims under that Act.

Bill NumberHR 4235
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(29)
D: 17R: 12

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.