Agudath Israel of America commends Congress for passing legislation to permanently extend and strengthen the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act (S.1884).
Originally passed in 2016, the HEAR Act aimed to help Holocaust survivors and their families recover artwork stolen by the Nazis. However, the original legislation included a sunset provision and is currently set to expire at the end of 2026. The newly passed bill removes that sunset clause, ensuring the law’s protections remain in place and closes loopholes that some museums and institutions are trying to exploit.
“This legislation is a matter of moral clarity. Survivors and their descendants have waited long enough for what is rightfully theirs,” said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, national director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of America. "We are grateful to Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), as well as Representatives Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and to the many members of Congress who co-sponsored this legislation, ensuring the HEAR Act fulfills its intended purpose.”
The bill now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
