(a) The board shall review grant applications that have been recommended by the department under AS 14.11.013, and may approve a grant application if the board determines that the project meets the criteria specified in AS 14.11.013(a)(1) and 14.11.014. The department may not award a grant unless the grant application is approved by the board.
(b) To the extent that money is available in the appropriate fund, the department shall award grants approved under (a) of this section in the order of the projects' priority on the date the appropriation bill funding the appropriate grant fund is passed by the legislature, regardless of any appeal pending under AS 14.11.016. Appeals pending under AS 14.11.016 at the time that grants are awarded may not delay the funding of grants awarded under this section.
(c) If a project is assigned a new priority ranking under AS 14.11.016 after the date of passage by the legislature of the appropriation bill for the appropriate grant fund, the project must be funded from the appropriate fund in accordance with the new priority ranking at the next time that grants are awarded.