To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish pilot projects to support and evaluate the provision of before-school activities that advance student academic achievement and encourage the establishment of, and increase participation in, school breakfast programs.

Summary: Educational Grants for Great Starts Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a pilot program to: (1) support before-school activities that advance student academic achievement and that encourage establishing of, or increasing participation in, school breakfast programs; and (2) evaluate the effect before-school activities have on school breakfast program participation. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to make such program grants to seven State agencies to conduct pilot projects in 17 elementary schools in each such State through subgrants to local educational agencies.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Educational Grants for Great Starts 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECTS TO SUPPORT AND EVALUATE BEFORE-SCHOOL 
              ACTIVITIES.

    Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Pilot Projects to Support and Evaluate Before-School 
Activities.--
            ``(1) Grants to state agencies.--
                    ``(A) Grants.--(i) Subject to funds made available 
                under paragraph (5), the Secretary, in coordination 
                with the Secretary of Education, shall make grants to 7 
                State agencies to conduct pilot projects in 17 
                elementary schools in each such State to--
                            ``(I) support the provision of before-
                        school activities that advance student academic 
                        achievement and encourage the establishment of, 
                        or increase participation in, school breakfast 
                        programs; and
                            ``(II) evaluate the effect of providing 
                        before-school activities on participation in 
                        school breakfast programs.
                    ``(ii) In carrying out clause (i), the Secretary 
                shall make grants to 1 State in each of the 7 
                geographic regions of the United States (as determined 
                for purposes of programs of the Food and Nutrition 
                Service).
                    ``(B) Application.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary may make a 
                        grant to a State agency under subparagraph (A) 
                        only if the State agency submits to the 
                        Secretary an application that contains, at a 
                        minimum, the information described in clause 
                        (ii).
                            ``(ii) Information.--The information 
                        described in this clause is the following:
                                    ``(I) A description of how the 
                                State agency will provide oversight of 
                                pilot projects to be conducted in 
                                selected elementary schools in the 
                                State to ensure that before-school 
                                activities under the projects will 
                                increase participation in the school 
                                breakfast program.
                                    ``(II) A description of the methods 
                                to be used by the State agency to 
                                promote and make available all 
                                appropriate information concerning 
                                subgrants to be made under paragraph 
                                (2) for the conduct of pilot projects 
                                in selected elementary schools in the 
                                State.
                                    ``(III) A description of the 
                                methods to be used by the State agency 
                                to collect data for the evaluation of 
                                the pilot projects in accordance with 
                                paragraph (4)(A).
                    ``(C) Selection criteria.--In making grants to 
                State agencies under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
                shall ensure that the pilot projects to be conducted in 
                elementary schools under the jurisdiction of the local 
                educational agencies are selected so as to--
                            ``(i)(I) ensure the likelihood that 
                        proposed before-school activities under the 
                        pilot projects will increase participation in 
                        school breakfast programs; and
                            ``(II) ensure coordination of the pilot 
                        projects with other programs and activities 
                        offered by the elementary schools;
                            ``(ii)(I) provide for an equitable 
                        distribution of pilot projects among urban and 
                        rural elementary schools; and
                            ``(II) provide for an equitable 
                        distribution of pilot projects among elementary 
                        schools with and without school breakfast 
                        programs; and
                            ``(iii) provide for an equitable 
                        distribution of pilot projects among schools of 
                        varying family income levels.
                    ``(D) Limitation.--Not more than 1.5 percent of the 
                amount of a grant received by a State agency under 
                subparagraph (A) may be used by the State agency for 
                administrative expenses of the pilot projects under 
                this subsection.
            ``(2) Subgrants to local educational agencies.--
                    ``(A) Subgrants.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A State agency that 
                        receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall use 
                        amounts from the grant to make subgrants to 
                        local educational agencies to conduct pilot 
                        projects in accordance with this subsection to 
                        support the provision of before-school 
                        activities, including the activities described 
                        in clause (ii), that advance student academic 
                        achievement and encourage the establishment of, 
                        or increase participation in, school breakfast 
                        programs.
                            ``(ii) Activities.--The activities 
                        described in this clause are the following:
                                    ``(I) Remedial education activities 
                                and academic enrichment learning 
                                programs.
                                    ``(II) Mathematics and science 
                                education activities.
                                    ``(III) Arts and music appreciation 
                                activities.
                                    ``(IV) Entrepreneurial education 
                                activities.
                                    ``(V) Tutoring services and 
                                mentoring programs.
                                    ``(VI) Telecommunications and 
                                technology education programs.
                                    ``(VII) Expanded library service 
                                hours.
                                    ``(VIII) Programs that provide 
                                assistance to students who have been 
                                truant or suspended to allow the 
                                students to improve their academic 
                                achievement.
                                    ``(IX) Drug and violence prevention 
                                programs, counseling programs, and 
                                character education programs.
                    ``(B) Application.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The State agency may 
                        make a subgrant to a local educational agency 
                        under subparagraph (A) only if the local 
                        educational agency submits to the State agency 
                        an application that contains, at a minimum, the 
                        information described in clause (ii).
                            ``(ii) Information.--The information 
                        described in this clause is the following:
                                    ``(I)(aa) Except as provided in 
                                item (bb), a description of the 
                                breakfast program of each elementary 
                                school under the jurisdiction of the 
                                local educational agency within which a 
                                pilot project will be conducted, 
                                including the number of students who 
                                participate in the program and the 
                                percentage of students who participate 
                                in the program in rural versus urban 
                                schools.
                                    ``(bb) In the case of an elementary 
                                school without a breakfast program and 
                                within which a pilot project will be 
                                conducted, a description of a plan that 
                                outlines how the school will establish 
                                and operate a breakfast program in 
                                coordination with the pilot project.
                                    ``(II) A description of how the 
                                local educational agency, in 
                                conjunction with the school food 
                                authority, will carry out the pilot 
                                projects in accordance with this 
                                subsection, including a description of 
                                (aa) the specific activities that will 
                                be carried out by the local educational 
                                agency to remove any perceived stigma 
                                associated with participation in the 
                                breakfast program and to increase 
                                participation in the program, and (bb) 
                                all other specific activities that will 
                                be carried out under the projects.
                                    ``(III) A description of a proposed 
                                budget to carry out the pilot projects.
                    ``(C) Selection criteria.--In making subgrants to 
                local educational agencies under subparagraph (A), the 
                State agency shall ensure that the local educational 
                agencies have under their jurisdiction a sufficient 
                number of elementary schools that are not participating 
                in the pilot projects to permit a valid evaluation of 
                the results of the pilot projects.
                    ``(D) Duration of pilot projects.--A local 
                educational agency that receives a subgrant under 
                subparagraph (A) to conduct a pilot project in 
                accordance with this subsection shall conduct the 
                project during a period of not less than 3 successive 
                school years.
                    ``(E) Minimum amount of awards to elementary 
                schools.--Subject to the availability of funds of a 
                subgrant provided to a local educational agency under 
                subparagraph (A) to conduct a pilot project in 
                accordance with this subsection, the minimum amount 
                provided to an elementary school under the pilot.
            ``(3) Prohibition.--Amounts provided under a grant or 
        subgrant made under this subsection may not be used to provide 
        a Federal reimbursement for school breakfasts under the school 
        breakfast program.
            ``(4) Evaluation; report.--
                    ``(A) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct an 
                evaluation of the pilot projects conducted by local 
                educational agencies under this subsection with respect 
                to the establishment of, and increased participation 
                in, school breakfast programs.
                    ``(B) Report.--Not later than September 30, 2006, 
                the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a 
                report that contains the results of the evaluation 
                conducted under subparagraph (A).
            ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    ``(A) General authorization.--There is authorized 
                to be appropriated to carry out this subsection (other 
                than paragraph (4)) $6,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
                years 2005 through 2007.
                    ``(B) Evaluation.--There is authorized to be 
                appropriated to carry out paragraph (4) $2,000,000 for 
                fiscal year 2007.''.