The bipartisan Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act of 2025, led by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL), became law on April 13 with the president’s signature.
The enacted S. 1884, which Sen. Blackburn cosponsored in May 2025 alongside colleagues including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), will facilitate the return of art stolen by the Nazis to their rightful owners by extending an already existing law. Rep. Lee sponsored the companion bill, H.R. 4235, in June 2025 with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
“Hundreds of thousands of pieces of artwork were taken from the Jewish people during the Holocaust, and survivors in the United States should not be unfairly barred from claiming artwork that is theirs,” Sen. Blackburn said. “The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act will ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs have a fair opportunity to recover artwork stolen from them by resolving claims based on merits.”
The new law will ensure that claims to recover stolen art are evaluated on their merits rather than dismissed on technical legal grounds, providing a clearer path for victims and their families to seek justice, according to the lawmakers.
“This law advances justice and affirms a simple principle: these cases should be decided based on truth, not technicalities, and we will continue to stand with those seeking to reclaim what was taken from them,” said Rep. Lee.
Nazi Germany’s campaign of annihilation and genocide against the Jewish people in the Holocaust included massive theft of property, including hundreds of thousands of works of art.
In 2016, Congress unanimously passed the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act to ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs could access U.S. courts to pursue claims for the recovery of such art, finding that the circumstances of the Holocaust imposed extraordinary obstacles to survivors and heirs to locate and recover stolen art, necessitating a national six-year statute of limitations that only begins when the owner actually discovers the location of the stolen artwork.
Unfortunately, many museums, governments, and institutions have contradicted Congress’ intent and obstructed justice by stonewalling legitimate claims and litigating, effectively preserving possession of stolen works rather than returning them to their rightful owners, the lawmakers say.
The original HEAR Act includes a sunset provision and is set to expire at the end of this year. The newly enacted bill amends and reauthorizes the original law to ensure victims of the Holocaust are not denied justice by legal loopholes, institutional intransigence, or the mere passage of time.
Specifically, the HEAR Act will eliminate the Dec. 31 sunset date; clarify and strengthen procedural protections to ensure that claims are considered on their merits and not dismissed due to time-based technical defenses or other non-merits discretionary defenses; and fortify victims’ remedies and access to the courts.
“This legislation helps to right a historic wrong committed during one of the darkest chapters in history,” said Sen. Tillis. “By eliminating unnecessary legal obstacles, the HEAR Act establishes a clear path to restitution for Holocaust survivors and their families, ensuring that art and cultural property stolen by the Nazis can finally be returned to their rightful owners.”
The legislation has been endorsed by numerous organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Creative Community for Peace, the Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA, and Jewish Federations of North America, among many others.