Rep. Lee’s Bill the HEAR Act Heads to the President’s Desk

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Laurel Lee's bill, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act of 2025,passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation removes the upcoming expiration date from the original HEAR Act of 2016, ensuring that Holocaust survivors and their families can continue pursuing claims to recover artwork and cultural property stolen by the Nazi regime. The bipartisan bill, which has already passed the Senate, now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.

"The Holocaust was one of the darkest chapters in human history, marked not only by the murder of millions of Jews but also by the systematic theft of their homes, livelihoods, and cultural heritage," said Rep. Laurel Lee. "For many families, the fight to recover artwork stolen during the Holocaust has continued for generations. The HEAR Act of 2025 ensures these claims are evaluated on their merits-not dismissed because of technical legal barriers. This legislation reaffirms our nation's commitment to justice, accountability, and historical truth."

"The thousands of missing pieces of art looted from Jewish families by Hitler's regime during the Holocaust are a painful reminder of a time when cruelty and hatred reigned," said Sen. Cornyn. "This legislation renews our commitment to Holocaust survivors and their families by ensuring cases are heard on their merit, offering a path to restitution and assurance that such injustices are never forgotten."

"Holocaust survivors and their families deserve the opportunity to pursue claims for what was wrongfully taken from them," said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. "With the House passage of this bill, we are ensuring their cases can continue to be heard in U.S. courts without being blocked by procedural loopholes. As it heads to President Trump's desk, this legislation helps make sure those still seeking to recover artwork stolen during one of history's darkest chapters can continue pursuing justice."

"The passage of The HEAR Act of 2025 is a landmark moment for Holocaust survivors and their families. Congress has made clear that these cases should be decided on their merits, not dismissed on procedural technicalities. For too long, museums and foreign governments have relied on delay and legal defenses to hold onto works taken during the Holocaust and the persecution of Jewish families by the Nazi regime." said Joel Greenberg, President of Art Ashes. "This legislation restores Congress's promise that these claims will finally be judged on the facts. Art Ashes is proud to have spearheaded this effort, and is deeply grateful to Representatives Lee and Nadler for their leadership, and to the members of Congress who stood on the side of justice."

"I strongly commend House and Senate leaders, as well as the sponsors of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act Improvements of 2025 for passing this important bill through Congress today. When I led an effort to pass the original HEAR Act in 2016, I never envisioned that we would need an extension 10 years later. But it is clear that the countless artwork that was stolen from Jews during World War II by the Nazis remain wrongfully owned and hidden." said Ronald Lauder, President of World Jewish Congress. "By eliminating the statute of limitations and other efforts to delay claimants from having their day in court, we move that much closer to reuniting stolen artwork to the rightful heirs. To the museums and collectors here in the United States that have been waiting out the clock, time is up. Time is up to close this ugly chapter, which has sullied the art world, and allow justice to be served on the merits. We cannot go back and change what happened. All we can do is stop the continuation of this crime. After more than 80 years, it is time to put these ghosts to rest."

"Extending and improving the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act-landmark 2016 legislation that empowers family members trying to recover artwork stolen from Jews by the Nazi regime during the Second World War-is a critical fulfillment of our leaders' obligation to preserve historic memory and pursue justice for Holocaust victims." said Matt Brooks, Chief Executive Officer of the Republican Jewish Coalition. "We are grateful to Senator John Cornyn and Representative Laurel Lee for leading the HEAR Act in Congress, and to Chairman Grassley, Chairman Jordan, Senate Majority Leader Thune, Speaker Johnson, and Majority Leader Scalise for ensuring its passage. We look forward to President Trump - the greatest friend to American Jews to serve in the White House - quickly signing the HEAR Act into law."

"After World War II, the Monuments Men and Women located and returned almost four million works of art and cultural objects looted by the Nazis. Much remains missing," said Robert Edsel, Chairman of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation and author of the #1 NYT bestseller, The Monuments Men, which became a major film by producer-actor-director George Clooney." said Robert M. Edsel, Founder & Chairman of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation. "Today's passage of the HEAR Act provides Holocaust survivors and their heirs a fair chance to recover works of art and cultural objects looted by the Nazis without having to defeat legal loopholes or paperwork deadlines. Congress should take a victory lap for getting this one right."

"We welcome this huge step in ensuring that museums and private individuals in the United States are held accountable for looted art in their collections. Technical barriers to claims against American possessors can have the effect of codifying a crime, permanently shielding looters and denying families the last tangible links to the lives that were stolen from them" said Mark Weitzman, Chief Operating Officer, World Jewish Restitution Organization. "We now urge American museums to greatly expand provenance research of their collections in order to ensure transparency and so that family members can find artwork which was looted from their families."

Watch Rep. Lee's Floor Remarks here.