New laws will give U.S. better access to international art and restore rightful ownership of stolen artwork
Washington, D.C.— House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the following statement upon the signing of the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act (H.R. 6477) and the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act (H.R. 6130) into law.
“Our museums and art galleries are some of the best outlets for Americans young and old to experience not only our own culture, but the cultures of others from around the world. Many of the world’s greatest art and artifacts are preserved in museums around the globe, and this legislation makes these pieces more accessible to American museums and galleries.
“These two bipartisan bills signed into law will not only allow for a greater exchange of culture with partners around the world, but will help preserve world cultures.
“Additionally, both of these bills contain vital provisions which will help return artwork and other cultural property that was stolen by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The return of these important pieces to their rightful owners is a simple measure we can take to preserve the culture of Europe, which the Nazis attempted to destroy during the atrocities of the Holocaust.”
Background: H.R. 6130, the “Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016,” allows civil actions to recover certain artwork or other property that was lost because of Nazi persecution without regard to State statutes of limitations. Chairman Goodlatte was chief sponsor of the bill.
H.R. 6477, the “Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act,” provides sovereign immunity for a foreign state for works of art that are imported into the United States from the foreign state for temporary exhibition or display.