SECTION 1. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION TO MEMBERS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES AND CIVILIAN EMPLOY-
EES OF THE UNITED STATES CAPTURED BY 
JAPAN AND FORCED TO PERFORM SLAVE 
LABOR DURING WORLD WAR II. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) During World War II, members of the 
Armed Forces of the United States fought valiantly 
against the Armed Forces of Japan in the Pacific. 
In particular, from December 1941 until May 1942, 
members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
fought courageously against overwhelming Armed 
Forces of Japan on Wake Island, Guam, the Phil-
ippine Islands, including the Bataan Peninsula and 
Corregidor, and the Dutch East Indies, thereby pre-
venting Japan from accomplishing strategic objec-
tives necessary for achieving a preemptive military 
victory in the Pacific during World War II. 
(2) During initial military action in the Phil-
ippines, members of the Armed Forces of the United 
States 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 people of the United States died during 
the march (known as the ‘‘Bataan Death March’’) 
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and during subsequent imprisonment as a result of 
starvation, disease, and executions. 
(3) Beginning in January 1942, the Armed 
Forces of Japan began transporting United States 
prisoners of war to Japan, Taiwan, Manchuria, and 
Korea to perform slave labor to support Japanese 
industries. Many of the unmarked merchant vessels 
in which the prisoners were transported (known as 
‘‘Hell Ships’’) were attacked by the Armed Forces of 
the United States, which, according to some esti-
mates, killed more than 3,600 people of the United 
States. 
(4) Following the conclusion of World War II, 
the Government of the United States agreed to pay 
compensation to former prisoners of war of the 
United States, amounting to $2.50 per day of im-
prisonment. This compensation, paid from assets of 
Japan frozen by the Government of the United 
States, is wholly insufficient to compensate fully 
such former prisoners of war for the conditions they 
endured. Neither the Government of Japan nor any 
corporations of Japan admit any liability requiring 
payment of compensation. 
(5) Other countries, including Canada, the 
United Kingdom, Isle of Man, Norway, the Nether-
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lands, New Zealand, and Australia have previously 
awarded such a compensation to their surviving vet-
erans who were captured by the Japanese during 
World War II and required to perform slave labor. 
Currently, the United States is the only Western Al-
lied power that has not awarded similar compensa-
tion to these distinguished heroes of World War II 
who were prisoners of war of Japan. 
(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 forced to perform slave 
labor by the Imperial Government of Japan or by corpora-
tions of Japan during World War II. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED
VETERAN
OR
CIVILIAN
IN-
TERNEE.—The term ‘‘covered veteran or civilian in-
ternee’’ means any individual who— 
(A) is a citizen of the United States; 
(B) 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; 
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(C) served in or with the Armed Forces 
during World War II; 
(D) was captured and held as a prisoner of 
war or prisoner by Japan in the course of such 
service; and 
(E) was required by the Imperial Govern-
ment of Japan, or one or more corporations of 
Japan, to perform slave labor during World 
War II. 
(2) SLAVE
LABOR.—The term ‘‘slave labor’’ 
means forced servitude under conditions of subjuga-
tion. 
(d) PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of 
appropriated funds, the Secretary of Defense shall 
pay compensation to each living covered veteran or 
civilian internee, or to the surviving spouse of a cov-
ered veteran or civilian internee, in the amount of 
$20,000. 
(2) REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION.—An applica-
tion for compensation submitted under this section 
by or with respect to an individual seeking treatment 
as a covered veteran or civilian internee under this 
section is subject to a rebuttable presumption that 
such individual is a covered veteran or civilian in-
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ternee if the application on its face provides infor-
mation sufficient to establish such individual as a 
covered veteran or civilian internee. 
(e) RELATIONSHIP
TO OTHER PAYMENTS.—Any 
amount paid to a person under this section for activity 
described in subsection (c)(1)(D) is in addition to any 
other amount paid to such person for such activity under 
any other provision of law. 
(f) INAPPLICABILITY
OF TAXATION
OR ATTACH-
MENT.—Any amount paid to 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. 
Æ 
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