[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2835 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2835

To authorize the payment of compensation to members of the Armed Forces 
 and civilian employees of the United States who performed slave labor 
    for Japan during World War II, or the surviving spouses of such 
                    members, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 5, 2001

 Mr. Cox (for himself, Mr. Lantos, and Mr. Rohrabacher) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
 Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means and the 
 Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the payment of compensation to members of the Armed Forces 
 and civilian employees of the United States who performed slave labor 
    for Japan during World War II, or the surviving spouses of such 
                    members, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO PAY COMPENSATION TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
              AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SLAVE 
              LABOR PERFORMED FOR JAPAN DURING WORLD WAR II.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) During World War II, members of the United States Armed 
        Forces fought valiantly against Japanese military forces in the 
        Pacific. From December 1941 until May 1942, United States 
        military personnel fought valiantly against overwhelming 
        Japanese military forces on Wake Island, Guam, the Philippine 
        Islands, including the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor, and the 
        Dutch East Indies, thereby preventing Japan from accomplishing 
        strategic objectives necessary for achieving a preemptive 
        military victory in the Pacific during World War II.
            (2) In military action in the Philippines, United States 
        troops were ordered to surrender on April 9, 1942, and were 
        forced to march 65 miles to prison camps at Camp O'Donnell, 
        Cabanatuan, and Bilibid. More than 10,000 Americans died during 
        the march, known as the ``Bataan Death March'', and during 
        subsequent imprisonment as a result of starvation, disease, and 
        executions.
            (3) Beginning in January 1942, the Japanese military began 
        to transport United States prisoners of war to Japan, Taiwan, 
        Manchuria, and Korea to perform slave labor to support their 
        war industries. Many of the unmarked merchant vessels in which 
        the prisoners were transported, called ``Hell Ships'', were 
        attacked by American naval and air forces, which, according to 
        some estimates, resulted in more than 3,600 American 
        fatalities.
            (4) Following the conclusion of World War II, the United 
        States Government agreed to pay compensation to United States 
        ex-prisoners of war amounting to $2.50 per day of imprisonment. 
        This compensation was paid from Japanese assets frozen by the 
        United States Government and does not begin to fully compensate 
        those ex-prisoners of war for the short-term and long-term 
        costs of the slave labor they endured. Neither the Government 
        of Japan nor any Japanese corporations admit any liability for 
        further payment of such compensation.
            (5) Other nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, 
        and the Netherlands, have authorized payment of compensation to 
        their surviving veterans who were captured by the Japanese 
        during World War II and required to perform slave labor.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to recognize, by the 
provision of compensation, the heroic contributions of the members of 
the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the United States who were 
captured by the Japanese military during World War II and denied their 
basic human rights by being made to perform slave labor by the Imperial 
Government of Japan or by Japanese corporations during World War II.
    (c) Payment of Compensation Authorized.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs may pay compensation to a covered veteran or civilian internee, 
or to the surviving spouse of a covered veteran or civilian internee, 
in the amount of $20,000.
    (d) Covered Veteran or Civilian Internee Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``covered veteran or civilian internee'' means any individual 
who--
            (1) was a member of the Armed Forces, a civilian employee 
        of the United States, or an employee of a contractor of the 
        United States during World War II;
            (2) served in or with United States combat forces during 
        World War II;
            (3) was captured and held as a prisoner of war or prisoner 
        by Japan in the course of such service; and
            (4) was required by the Imperial Government of Japan, or 
        one or more Japanese corporations, to perform slave labor 
        during World War II.
    (e) Relationship to Other Payments.--Any amount paid a person under 
this section for activity described in subsection (d) is in addition to 
any other amount paid such person for such activity under any other 
provision of law.
    (f) Inapplicability of Taxation or Attachment.--Any amount paid a 
person under this section shall not be subject to any taxation, 
attachment, execution, levy, tax lien, or detention under any process 
what-ever.
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