Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025
Public Law 119-82 · S. 1884 · 119th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Apr 13, 2026 · Law
Sponsor: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Cosponsors (21): Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Thom Tillis,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
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.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4235Public law contains the textRelated bill
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.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Apr 13, 2026Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 119-82.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Apr 2, 2026FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 16, 2026FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1884.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Lee (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 11, 2025FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 10, 2025FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 18, 2025CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 271.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with amendments. Without written report.
- Nov 6, 2025CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- May 22, 2025CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.