I
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 mem-
bers, 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 Judici-
ary, 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO PAY COMPENSATION TO MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND CIVILIAN
EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES FOR
SLAVE LABOR PERFORMED FOR JAPAN DUR-
ING 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. From De-
cember 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 ob-
jectives necessary for achieving a preemptive mili-
tary 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 com-
pensation 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 li-
ability for further payment of such compensation.
(5) Other nations, including Canada, the
United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, have author-
ized payment of compensation to their surviving vet-
erans 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 by the Imperial Government of Japan or by Japa-
nese 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 sur-
viving spouse of a covered veteran or civilian internee, in
the amount of $20,000.
(d) COVERED VETERAN OR CIVILIAN INTERNEE DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘covered veteran or ci-
vilian internee’’ means any individual who—
(1) was a member of the Armed Forces, a civil-
ian 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 de-
scribed 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 ATTACH-
MENT.—Any amount paid a person under this section
shall not be subject to any taxation, attachment, execu-
tion, levy, tax lien, or detention under any process what-
ever.
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