text: SECTION 1. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND 
                CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES CAPTURED BY JAPAN 
                AND FORCED TO PERFORM SLAVE LABOR DURING WORLD WAR II.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
              (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 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) During initial military action in the Philippines, 
          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'') 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 estimates, 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 imprisonment. 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 Netherlands, New Zealand, and 
          Australia have previously awarded such a compensation to their 
          surviving veterans who were captured by the Japanese during 
          World War II and required to perform slave labor. Currently, 
          the United States is the only Western Allied power that has not 
          awarded similar compensation to these distinguished heroes of 
          World War II who were prisoners of war of Japan.
      (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 forced to perform slave labor by the 
  Imperial Government of Japan or by corporations of Japan during World 
  War II.
      (c) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) Covered veteran or civilian internee.--The term 
          ``covered veteran or civilian internee'' 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;
                      (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 Government 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 subjugation.
      (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 covered veteran or 
          civilian internee, in the amount of $20,000.
              (2) Rebuttable presumption.--An application 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 internee if the application on its face provides 
          information 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 Attachment.--Any amount paid to 
  a person under this section shall not be subject to any taxation, 
  attachment, execution, levy, tax lien, or detention under any process 
  whatever.
target: Directs the Secretary of Defense to pay (subject to the availability of appropriated funds) a specified amount of compensation to those members of the Armed Forces and U.S. civilian employees, or to the surviving spouses of such members and employees, who were captured by Japan and who were used as slave labor during World War II.
feat_title: To require the payment of compensation to members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the United States who were forced to perform slave labor by the Imperial Government of Japan or by corporations of Japan during World War II, or the surviving spouses of such members, and for other purposes.