119th Congress · introduced in the House · Jun 27, 2025
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.
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Jun 27, 2025): Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Law
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in House (Jun 27, 2025)
This bill 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 bill 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 bill 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 bill 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 bill 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.
Show less of the summaryIncludes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
Art, artists, authorship · Civil actions and liability · Conflicts and wars · Crime victims · Historical and cultural resources · Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers · War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity · World history
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 24, 2026.
15 citations.
ART ASHES · lobbying firm or registrant: ACG ADVOCACY
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 20, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$30,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Looted artwork. H.R.4235/S.1884: Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act of 2025.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ART RESTITUTION TO ASSIST SURVIVORS OF THE HOLOCAUST EMERGENCY SERVICES FDN. · lobbying firm or registrant: CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 19, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$10,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Support and issues around S.1884 - Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 (HEAR Act) Support for H.R. 4235 - To clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ART ASHES · lobbying firm or registrant: ACG ADVOCACY
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 17, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$30,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Looted artwork. H.R.4235/S.1884: Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ART RESTITUTION TO ASSIST SURVIVORS OF THE HOLOCAUST EMERGENCY SERVICES FDN. · lobbying firm or registrant: CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 15, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$20,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Support and issues around S.1884 - Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 (HEAR Act) Support for H.R. 4235 - To clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION · lobbying firm or registrant: REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 23, 2026 · issue area: Torts
$100,000
Spent on own lobbying
S. 1884, HR 4235 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
WORLD JEWISH RESTITUTION ORGANIZATION · lobbying firm or registrant: WORLD JEWISH RESTITUTION ORGANIZATION
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 20, 2026 · issue area: Government Issues
Amount not reported
…eauthorization of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 - specifically, (1) S. 1884, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025; and (2) HR 4235, a bill to clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, to appropriately to appropriately limit the application of defenses based on the passag…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. View filing
WORLD JEWISH RESTITUTION ORGANIZATION · lobbying firm or registrant: MAYER BROWN LLP
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 15, 2026 · issue area: Government Issues
Amount not reported
…eauthorization of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 - specifically, (1) S. 1884, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025; and (2) HR 4235, a bill to clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, to appropriately to appropriately limit the application of defenses based on the passag…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. View filing
ART ASHES · lobbying firm or registrant: ACG ADVOCACY
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · amended · posted Apr 15, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$50,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Looted artwork. H.R.4235/S.1884 - Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ART RESTITUTION TO ASSIST SURVIVORS OF THE HOLOCAUST EMERGENCY SERVICES FDN. · lobbying firm or registrant: CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 14, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$30,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Support and issues around S.1884 - Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 (HEAR Act) Support for H.R. 4235 - To clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION · lobbying firm or registrant: REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 28, 2026 · issue area: Torts
$100,000
Spent on own lobbying
S. 1884, HR 4235 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ART ASHES · lobbying firm or registrant: ACG ADVOCACY
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 21, 2026 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$50,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Looted artwork. H.R.4235/S.1884 - Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025.
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
WORLD JEWISH RESTITUTION ORGANIZATION · lobbying firm or registrant: MAYER BROWN LLP
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 15, 2026 · issue area: Government Issues
Amount not reported
…eauthorization of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 - specifically, (1) S. 1884, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025; and (2) HR 4235, a bill to clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, to appropriately to appropriately limit the application of defenses based on the passag…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. View filing
REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION · lobbying firm or registrant: REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Nov 6, 2025 · issue area: Torts
$100,000
Spent on own lobbying
S. 1884, HR 4235 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
WORLD JEWISH RESTITUTION ORGANIZATION · lobbying firm or registrant: MAYER BROWN LLP
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 20, 2025 · issue area: Government Issues
Amount not reported
…eauthorization of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 - specifically, (1) S. 1884, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025; and (2) HR 4235, a bill to clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, to appropriately to appropriately limit the application of defenses based on the passag…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. View filing
ART RESTITUTION TO ASSIST SURVIVORS OF THE HOLOCAUST EMERGENCY SERVICES FDN. · lobbying firm or registrant: CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 17, 2025 · issue area: Arts/Entertainment
$20,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Support for S. 1884 - Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 (HEAR Act) Support for H.R.4235 - To clarify the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing