(a) The board may provide financial assistance to political subdivisions by using money in the economically distressed areas account to purchase political subdivision bonds.
(b) The board may make financial assistance available to political subdivisions in any other manner that it considers feasible, including:
(1) contracts or agreements with a political subdivision for acceptance of financial assistance that establish any repayment based on the political subdivision's ability to repay the assistance and that establish requirements for acceptance of the assistance; or
(2) contracts or agreements for providing financial assistance in any federal or federally assisted project or program.