Justice for United States Prisoners of War Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-1703
Sponsor: Rep. Rohrabacher, Dana [R-CA-46]
Introduced: 2003-04-09 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Biological research
Biological warfare
Chemical research
Chemical warfare
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Crime and Law Enforcement
East Asia
Ex-prisoners of war
Forced labor
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign corporations
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Health
History
Human experimentation in medicine
International claims
Japan
Labor and Employment
Law
Limitation of actions
Military history
Peace treaties
Prisoners of war
Science, Technology, Communications
State laws
Treaties
Wages
War crimes
World War II

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: 
Justice for United States Prisoners of War Act of 2003 - Requires any Federal court in which an action is brought against a Japanese national by a member of the U.S. armed forces seeking compensation for mistreatment or failure to pay wages in connection with labor performed in Japan for such national as a prisoner of war during World War II to: (1) apply the applicable statute of limitations of the State in which the action is pending; and (2) not construe a specified provision of the Treaty of Peace With Japan as a waiver by the United States of such claims.
 
States that it is U.S. policy to ensure that any war claims settlement terms between Japan and any other country that are more beneficial than terms extended to the United States under the above Treaty are extended to the United States with respect to claims under this Act.
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to secure information relating to chemical or biological tests conducted by Japan on members of the U.S. armed forces held as prisoners of war during World War II.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-05-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census.
action_date: 2003-05-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, and Government Reform, 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.
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, and Government Reform, 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.
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, and Government Reform, 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.
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, and Government Reform, 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.
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Introduced in House