Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Parris Island Protection Act”.
Parris Island Protection Act
A BILL
To prohibit the use of Federal funds to close or realign the Marine Corps Recruit Depot located at Parris Island, South Carolina, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings; sense of Congress
Findings— Congress makes the following findings:
The Marine Corps Recruit Depot located at Parris Island, South Carolina (in this section referred to as “Parris Island”), has served the United States as a home to the Marine Corps since 1891.
Parris Island was the first facility to integrate women in boot camp training for the Marine Corps in the United States.
Female recruits have trained at Parris Island since 1949.
The first integrated company of male and female recruits graduated from Parris Island in 2019.
Parris Island has cultivated a legacy of excellence and faithful service to the United States.
Parris Island’s coastal geographical location is of important strategic purpose to the Marine Corps.
The Department of Defense issued a new strategy for maritime deterrence called Advantage at Sea that includes the Marine Corps.
Parris Island completed a Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience assessment that resulted in changes to its master plan projects and adaptation strategies from spatial planning.
The Parris Island Climate Change Adaptation and Resiliency Team produced a comprehensive project portfolio and complete set of Handbook Worksheets incorporating natural infrastructure management (including green infrastructure and enhanced natural buffers), reduction of water and energy use, and master planning. The portfolio provides a guide for the Depot to address climate-impacts to the mission in the short, mid, and long term for current predicted storm surges, as well as future sea level rise (2035, 2065, and 2100).
Parris Island won the 2021 Secretary of the Navy’s Environmental Award for “excellence in integrating environmental and operational sustainability efforts and mitigating impacts from storm surge and sea level rise through 2065”.
Parris Island has received a grant totaling $2,050,100 to improve natural infrastructure and reduce erosion, stabilize the shoreline, reduce storm surge impact, and improve water quality while also protecting Department of Defense installations, surrounding communities and resources from climate impacts.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that Parris Island is and should remain the physical home of the Marine Corps Eastern Recruiting Region.
Sec. 3 Prohibition of closing or realignment of Marine Corps Recruit Depot located at Parris Island, South Carolina
No Federal funds may be used to close or realign Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, or to conduct any planning or other activity related to such closure or realignment.