I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5972 
To provide for the payment of compensation to members of the Armed 
Forces and civilian employees of the United States who, as prisoners 
of war, performed slave labor for Japanese corporations during World 
War II, to authorize the Secretary of Defense to accept contributions 
in order to provide additional compensation to such members and employ-
ees, to encourage Japanese corporations that benefitted from the use 
of slave labor to make contributions for such additional compensation, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2006 
Mr. HUNTER (for himself, Mr. MICA, Mr. REYES, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. SMITH 
of New Jersey, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. HALL, Mr. ROYCE, 
Mr. RENZI, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, 
Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, 
Mr. BASS, Mr. KLINE, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. WALDEN of Or-
egon, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. PORTER, 
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, Mr. 
WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. AKIN, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. CULBERSON, 
Mr. POE, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. WAMP, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BURTON of Indi-
ana, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. ROGERS of 
Alabama, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, and Mr. 
GINGREY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for the payment of compensation to members 
of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the United 
States who, as prisoners of war, performed slave labor 
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for Japanese corporations during World War II, to au-
thorize the Secretary of Defense to accept contributions 
in order to provide additional compensation to such mem-
bers and employees, to encourage Japanese corporations 
that benefitted from the use of slave labor to make 
contributions for such additional compensation, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION TO MEMBERS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES AND CIVILIAN EMPLOY-
EES OF THE UNITED STATES CAPTURED BY 
JAPAN AND USED AS SLAVE LABOR BY JAPA-
NESE CORPORATIONS DURING WORLD WAR 
II. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) During World War II, members of the 
United States Armed Forces fought valiantly against 
Japanese military forces in the Pacific. In par-
ticular, from December 1941 until May 1942, 
United States military personnel fought coura-
geously against overwhelming Japanese military 
forces on Wake Island, Guam, the Philippine Is-
lands, including the Bataan Peninsula and Cor-
regidor, and the Dutch East Indies, thereby pre-
venting Japan from accomplishing strategic objec-
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tives necessary for achieving a decisive military vic-
tory in the Pacific during World War II. 
(2) During initial military actions in the Phil-
ippines, United States troops were ordered to sur-
render on April 9, 1942, and were forced to march 
65 miles to prison camps at Camp O’Donnell, Caba-
natuan, 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) The treatment of members of the Armed 
Forces who were held as prisoners of war in the Pa-
cific Theater during World War II was so egregious 
that more than 40 percent of the prisoners of war 
died while imprisoned. 
(4) Beginning in January 1942, the Japanese 
military began transporting United States prisoners 
of war to Japan, Taiwan, Manchuria, and Korea to 
perform slave labor to support Japanese war indus-
tries. 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. 
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(5) Following the conclusion of World War II, 
the United States Government agreed to pay com-
pensation to United States ex-prisoners of war 
amounting to $2.50 per day of imprisonment. This 
compensation was to be paid from Japanese assets 
frozen by the United States Government. However, 
the compensation could never fully compensate those 
ex-prisoners of war for the sacrifice they endured. 
Neither the Government of Japan nor any Japanese 
corporation admits any liability requiring payment 
or compensation. 
(6) Other Allied nations, including Canada, the 
United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, have author-
ized payment of gratuities 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 rec-
ognize, by the provision of compensation, the heroic con-
tributions of the members of the Armed Forces and civil-
ian 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 for Japanese corporations during World War II. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section 
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(1) SELECTED
VETERAN
OR
CIVILIAN
IN-
TERNEE.—The term ‘‘selected veteran or civilian in-
ternee’’ means any individual who— 
(A) 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; 
(B) served in or with United States com-
bat forces during World War II; 
(C) was captured and held as a prisoner of 
war or prisoner by Japan in the course of such 
service; and 
(D) was forced to perform slave labor dur-
ing World War II for one or more Japanese 
corporations. 
(2) SLAVE
LABOR.—The term ‘‘slave labor’’ 
means forced servitude under conditions of subjuga-
tion. 
(d) PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION.—As soon as prac-
ticable after the end of the period specified in subsection 
(e)(1), the Secretary of Defense shall pay compensation 
to each living selected veteran or civilian internee whose 
application for compensation under this section is ap-
proved by the Secretary. 
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