Utah 2023 Regular Session

Utah House Bill HCR004 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	Enrolled Copy H.C.R. 4
	1	+	H.C.R. 4
	2	+	LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL
	3	+	6 Approved for Filing: K.P. Gasser 6
	4	+	6 01-26-23 2:33 PM 6
	5	+	H.C.R. 4
2	6		1 CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON ADDRESSING SERVICE
3	7		2 MEMBERS IN JAPAN
4	8		3 2023 GENERAL SESSION
5	9		4 STATE OF UTAH
6	10		5 Chief Sponsor: Tyler Clancy
7		-	6 Senate Sponsor: ~~Michael K. McKell~~
	11	+	6 Senate Sponsor: ____________
8	12		7
9	13		8LONG TITLE
10	14		9General Description:
11	15		10 This resolution encourages the United States Congress and National Security Council to
12	16		11review the Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Japan and to
13	17		12review the investigation and trial of Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis.
14	18		13Highlighted Provisions:
15	19		14 This resolution:
16	20		15 <encourages the United States Congress and National Security Council to formally
17	21		16review the Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Japan; and
18	22		17 <encourages the United States Congress and National Security Council to officially
19	23		18investigate the circumstances surrounding the investigation and trial of Navy
20	24		19Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis to ensure that American service members are being
21	25		20properly treated and adequately protected while serving in Japan.
22	26		21Special Clauses:
23	27		22 None
24	28		23
25	29		24Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
26	30		25 WHEREAS, there are over 100,000 American service members and dependents
27	31		26stationed in Japan, more than any other place in the world other than the United States;
28	32		27 WHEREAS, active-duty Utahns are, and will continue to be, stationed abroad in Japan
	33	+	HCR004 H.C.R. 4 01-26-23 2:33 PM
	34	+	- 2 -
29	35		28while serving in the United States Armed Forces;
30		-	29 WHEREAS, status of forces agreements are designed to ensure adequate and fair legal H.C.R. 4 Enrolled Copy
31		-	- 2 -
	36	+	29 WHEREAS, status of forces agreements are designed to ensure adequate and fair legal
32	37		30treatment of American service members stationed abroad;
33	38		31 WHEREAS, in practice, the United States-Japan Status of Forces Agreement does not
34	39		32appear to provide adequate legal protection for American service members as there are reports
35	40		33that Japan regularly violates the Status of Forces Agreement by detaining American service
36	41		34members without adequate cause or necessity prior to charges;
37	42		35 WHEREAS, there are reports that Japanese authorities consistently deny legal counsel
38	43		36to service members during police interrogations and fail to provide adequate translation
39	44		37assistance during interrogations and trials, which violates Department of Defense policy
40	45		38regarding the legal rights of service members overseas as outlined in Secretary of the Navy
41	46		39Instruction 5820.4G and Army Regulation 27-50;
42	47		40 WHEREAS, the case of Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis embodies the reported issues
43	48		41surrounding the United States-Japan Status of Forces Agreement as Lieutenant Alkonis
44	49		42experienced prejudicial treatment during Japanese police detainment and trial;
45	50		43 WHEREAS, there are numerous reports of Lieutenant Alkonis receiving extremely
46	51		44suspect legal advice and inadequate support from United States Navy personnel during legal
47	52		45proceedings;
48	53		46 WHEREAS, there is evidence of the United States Navy knowingly misleading
49	54		47members of the United States Congress regarding Lieutenant Alkonis's case;
50	55		48 WHEREAS, there is sufficient evidence to reasonably suspect that Lieutenant Alkonis
51	56		49is wrongfully detained; and
52	57		50 WHEREAS, the United States Congress through the United States House Committee
53	58		51on Armed Services is responsible for conducting oversight of the United States Navy and
54	59		52ensuring that international agreements are in the best interest of the American people and
55	60		53abided by the parties entered therein:
56	61		54 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
57		-	55Governor concurring therein, ~~encourages~~ the United States Congress and the National Security
	62	+	55Governor concurring therein, encourage the United States Congress and the National Security
58	63		56Council to:
59		-	57 (1) conduct a formal review of the Status of Forces Agreement between the United Enrolled Copy H.C.R. 4
	64	+	57 (1) conduct a formal review of the Status of Forces Agreement between the United
	65	+	58States and Japan to ensure that the agreement is in the best interest of the United States and 01-26-23 2:33 PM H.C.R. 4
60	66		- 3 -
61		-	58States and Japan to ensure that the agreement is in the best interest of the United States and
62	67		59adequately protects American service members in accordance with constitutional rights and
63	68		60United States Department of Defense policy;
64	69		61 (2) conduct an official investigation into the circumstances and dealings surrounding
65	70		62the investigation, trial, and conviction of Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis to ensure that
66	71		63Lieutenant Alkonis was treated fairly by Japan and that the United States Navy provided fair
67	72		64and adequate support; and
68	73		65 (3) refer Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis's case to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage
69	74		66Affairs to be designated as a wrongfully detained case.
70	75		67 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that upon adoption of this resolution, an appropriate
71	76		68copy be provided by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the majority leader of
72	77		69the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the
73	78		70Chairman of the United States House Committee on Armed Services, the Chairman of the
74	79		71United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, the Chairman of the United States Senate
75	80		72Committee on Foreign Relations, the Chairman of the United States House Committee on
76	81		73Foreign Affairs, the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the
77	82		74Chairman of the United States House Committee on the Judiciary, the National Security
78	83		75Advisor, and the members of the Utah congressional delegation.