US Law Removes Holocaust-Looted Art Claims Deadline, Opening Door to More Restitution

The United States has taken a significant step towards justice for Holocaust survivors and their descendants with the enactment of a new law removing the deadline for restitution claims on looted art. The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act (HEAR Act), signed into law by President Trump, repeals the controversial sunset clause from the original 2016 law. This clause had imposed a strict deadline for filing claims, casting a shadow of urgency over families seeking to recover their stolen heritage.

Under the revised act, families now have six years from the discovery of looted artwork to file a lawsuit. This crucial change, championed by organizations like Art Ashes, ensures that individuals can pursue due process without the undue pressure of arbitrary time limits. Joel Greenberg, president of Art Ashes, emphasized that this amendment honors the commitment made by Congress a decade ago to survivors, finally allowing claims to be heard and decided on their merits.

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For years, the sunset clause cast a shadow over every survivor and family whose stolen art is still missing. Now they can seek due process without the pressure of time and deadlines.

The removal of the sunset clause is also seen as a deterrent against those who might have sought to obscure looted works from public view until the deadline passed. By extending the window for claims and preventing certain legal tactics, the law aims to facilitate a fairer and more thorough process for reclaiming art confiscated by the Nazis. This bipartisan effort reflects a renewed dedication to addressing the historical injustices of the Holocaust and ensuring that cultural heritage is returned to its rightful owners.

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It was extremely important that Congress eliminated the sunset clause because it incentivized museums and others holding looted art to keep those works under wraps until the sunset period ended. Now, that change and the other provisions ensure claims will be heard and decided on the merits and means that the commitment Congress made to survivors ten years ago when they first passed the HEAR Act is finally being honored.