What's happening
This bill requires museums to display notices identifying art stolen or forcibly sold in Europe during the Nazi era.
Why it matters
Raises public awareness. about the history of art looted or forcibly sold under Nazi persecution, helping visitors understand the context and origins of certain artworks in museum collections.
Promotes transparency and accountability. in museums, encouraging institutions to acknowledge problematic provenance and potentially prompting further research or restitution efforts.
Supports ethical stewardship. by ensuring museums are not seen as ignoring or covering up the histories of cultural property affected by the Holocaust and related injustices.
May influence museum practices and acquisitions. by increasing scrutiny of provenance records, which could affect decisions about what art is displayed, acquired, or returned.
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Who cares
Museums displaying Nazi-era looted art
They would have to prominently place placards acknowledging the involuntary transfer of qualifying works created before 1945.
Museum curators and exhibition staff
They would need to include the required notices alongside displays of identifiable works taken through theft, seizure, confiscation, forced sale or other involuntary means in Europe during 1933–1945.
Museum visitors
They would receive prominent notice when displayed artworks are known to have changed hands involuntarily in Europe during the Nazi era.
Headline styles
Flag Nazi-Looted Art in Museums
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 7
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Nazi-Looted Art Notices
In Assembly Committee · Tourism, Parks, Arts And Sports Development · Sponsor Charles Lavine
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7808
IN SENATE
February 24, 2020
Introduced by Sen. KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to notice of art stolen during the Nazi era in Europe
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 233-aa of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
15. Every museum which has on display any identifiable works of art known to have been created before nineteen hundred forty-five and which changed hands due to theft, seizure, confiscation, forced sale or other involuntary means in Europe during the Nazi era (nineteen hundred thirty-three--nineteen hundred forty-five) shall prominently place a placard acknowledging such information along with such display.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14939-01-0
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to notice of art stolen during the Nazi era in Europe
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require museums with works of art stolen during the Nazi era in Europe to display a placard acknowledging such information
Summary of provisions
Amends section 233-aa of the education law by requiring museums with identifiable works of art that were stolen during Nazi era Europe to prominently place a placard acknowledging such infor- mation along with the display
Justification
During World War II, the Nazis looted some 600,000 paintings from Jews. The looting was not only designed to enrich the Third Reich but also integral to the Holocaust's goal of eliminating all vestiges of Jewish identity and culture. Many museums now display this stolen art with no recognition of their provenance. New York state law already requires that a copy of all notices required by this section pertaining to prop- erty in the form of identifiable works of art known to have been created before nineteen hundred forty-five and to have changed hands in Europe during the Nazi era (1933-1945) shall be sent to The Art Loss Register. Museums should be transparent with this information and display it along with any stolen art piece.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.