(a) For school building projects authorized by the General Assembly prior to July 1, 1996, and for projects pursuant to subsection (b) of § 10-283 for which application was made prior to July 1, 1997, each town and regional school district shall be eligible to apply for and accept interest subsidy grants, as provided in sections 10-292c to 10-292n, inclusive. Any town desiring an interest subsidy grant may, by vote of its legislative body, authorize the board of education of such town to apply to the Commissioner of Education and to accept or reject such grants for the town. Any regional school board may vote to authorize the supervising agent of the regional school district to apply to the Commissioner of Education for and to accept or reject such grants for the district. Applications for such grants under sections 10-292c to 10-292n, inclusive, shall be made by the superintendent of schools of such town or regional school district on the form provided and in the manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education. Grant applications under sections 10-292c to 10-292n, inclusive, shall be received, reviewed and approved or disapproved by the Commissioner of Education. All applications submitted prior to the first day of July in any year shall be reviewed promptly by the commissioner and the amount of the grant shall be estimated. The commissioner shall annually prepare a listing of all such eligible grants under sections 10-292c to 10-292n, inclusive, together with the amount of the estimated grants therefor and shall submit the same to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before the fifteenth day of December, except as provided in § 10-292e, with a request for authorization to enter into grant commitments. The General Assembly shall annually authorize the commissioner to enter into grant commitments on behalf of the state in accordance with the commissioner’s listing for such grants as the General Assembly shall determine. The commissioner shall not enter into any such grant commitments except pursuant to such legislative authorization.

(b) Notwithstanding the application date requirements of this section, the Commissioner of Education may approve applications for interest subsidy grants in connection with school building projects to remedy damage from fire and catastrophe or to correct safety, health and other code violations at any time within the limit of available grant authorization and make payments thereon within the limit of appropriated funds.