132 STAT. 1288 PUBLIC LAW 115–171—MAY 9, 2018 

Public Law 115–171 

115th Congress 

An Act 

To require reporting on acts of certain foreign countries on Holocaust era assets 

and related issues. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act of 2017’’. 

SEC. 2. REPORT ON HOLOCAUST ERA ASSETS AND RELATED ISSUES. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 

‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 

(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; 

(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; 

(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 

of Representatives; and 

(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House 

of Representatives. 

(2) COVERED COUNTRIES.—The term ‘‘covered countries’’ 

means participants in the 2009 Holocaust Era Assets Conference that are determined by the Secretary of State, or the 

Secretary’s designee, in consultation with expert nongovernmental organizations, to be countries of particular concern relative to the issues listed in subsection (b). 

(3) WRONGFULLY SEIZED OR TRANSFERRED.—The term 

‘‘wrongfully seized or transferred’’ includes confiscations, 

expropriations, nationalizations, forced sales or transfers, and 

sales or transfers under duress during the Holocaust era or 

the period of Communist rule of a covered country. 

(b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report 

to the appropriate congressional committees that assesses and 

describes the nature and extent of national laws and enforceable 

policies of covered countries regarding the identification and the 

return of or restitution for wrongfully seized or transferred Holocaust era assets consistent with, and evaluated with respect to, 

the goals and objectives of the 2009 Holocaust Era Assets Conference, including— 

(1) the return to the rightful owner of any property, 

including religious or communal property, that was wrongfully 

seized or transferred; 

(2) if return of any property described in paragraph (1) 

is no longer possible, the provision of comparable substitute 

Justice for 

Uncompensated 

Survivors Today 

(JUST) Act 

of 2017. 

May 9, 2018 

[S. 447] 


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PUBLIC LAW 115–171—MAY 9, 2018 132 STAT. 1289 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 447: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 

Vol. 163 (2017): Dec. 12, considered and passed Senate. 

Vol. 164 (2018): Apr. 24, considered and passed House. 

Æ 

property or the payment of equitable compensation to the rightful owner in accordance with principles of justice and through 

an expeditious claims-driven administrative process that is just, 

transparent, and fair; 

(3) in the case of heirless property, the provision of property 

or compensation to assist needy Holocaust survivors, to support 

Holocaust education, and for other purposes; 

(4) the extent to which such laws and policies are implemented and enforced in practice, including through any 

applicable administrative or judicial processes; and 

(5) to the extent practicable, the mechanism for and an 

overview of progress toward the resolution of claims for United 

States citizen Holocaust survivors and United States citizen 

family members of Holocaust victims. 

(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 

after the submission of the report described in subsection (b), the 

Secretary of State should continue to report to Congress on Holocaust era assets and related issues in a manner that is consistent 

with the manner in which the Department of State reported on 

such matters before the date of the enactment of the Act. 

Approved May 9, 2018. 


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