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_____ 717 authorities, or for payment of a legally authorized deficit. c) The payments for care of graves of Confederate and historical African American dead. d) The employer contributions, and employer-paid member contributions, to the Social Security System, Virginia Retirement System, Judicial Retirement System, State Police Officers Retirement System, Virginia Law Officers Retirement System, Optional Retirement Plan for College and University Faculty, Optional Retirement Plan for Political Appointees, Optional Retirement Plan for Superintendents, the Volunteer Service Award Program, the Virginia Retirement System's group life insurance, sickness and disability, and retiree health care credit programs for state employees, state-supported local employees and teachers. If the Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees approves a contribution rate for a fiscal year that is lower than the rate on which the appropriation was based, or if the United States government approves a Social Security rate that is lower than that in effect for the current budget, the Governor may withhold excess contributions. However, employer and employee paid rates or contributions for health insurance and matching deferred compensation for state employees, state- supported local employees and teachers may not be increased or decreased beyond the amounts approved by the General Assembly. Payments for the employee benefit programs listed in this paragraph may not be delayed beyond the customary billing cycles that have been established by law or policy by the governing board. e) The payments in fulfillment of any contract awarded for the design, construction and furnishing of any state building. f) The salary of any state officer for whom the Constitution of Virginia prohibits a change in salary. g) The salary of any officer or employee in the Executive Department by more than two percent (irrespective of the fund source for payment of salaries and wages); however, the percentage of reduction shall be uniformly applied to all employees within the Executive Department. h) The appropriation supported by the State Bar Fund, as authorized by § 54.1-3913, Code of Virginia, unless the supporting revenues for such appropriation are estimated to be insufficient to pay the appropriation. 7. The Governor is authorized to withhold specific allotments of appropriations by a uniform percentage, a graduated reduction or on an individual basis, or apply a combination of these actions, in effecting the authorized reduction of expenditures, up to the maximum of 15 percent, as prescribed in subdivision 6a of this subsection. 8. Each nongeneral fund appropriation shall be payable in full only to the extent the nongeneral fund revenues from which the appropriation is payable are estimated to be sufficient. The Governor is authorized to reduce allotments of nongeneral fund appropriations by the amount necessary to ensure that expenditures do not exceed the supporting revenues for such appropriations; however, the Governor shall take no action to reduce allotments of appropriations for major nongeneral fund sources on account of reduced revenues until such time as a formal written re-estimate of revenues for the current and next biennium, prepared in accordance with the process specified in § 2.2-1503, Code of Virginia, has been reported to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and Appropriations, House Finance, and House Appropriations Committees. For purposes of this subsection, major nongeneral fund sources are defined as Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund and Transportation Trust Fund. 9. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of law, the Governor is authorized to transfer to the general fund on June 30 of each year of the biennium, or within 20 days from that date, any available unexpended balances in other funds in the state treasury, subject to the following: a) The Governor shall declare in writing to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and Appropriations and House Appropriations Committees that a fiscal emergency exists which warrants the transfer of nongeneral funds to the general fund and reports the exact amount of such transfer within five calendar days of the transfer; b) No such transfer may be made from retirement or other trust accounts, the State Bar Fund as authorized by § 54.1-3913, Code of Virginia, debt service funds, or federal funds; and c) The Governor shall include for informative purposes, in the first biennial budget he submits subsequent to the transfer, the amount transferred from each account or fund and recommendations for restoring such amounts. 10. The Director, Department of Planning and Budget, shall make available via electronic means a report of spending authority withheld under the provisions of this subsection to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and Appropriations and House Appropriations Committees within five calendar days of the action to withhold. Said report shall include the amount withheld by agency and appropriation item. 11. If action to withhold allotments of appropriation under this provision is inadequate to eliminate the imbalance between projected general fund resources and appropriations, the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall be advised in writing by the Governor, so that they may consider requesting a special session of the General Assembly. e. Reduced Federal Grant Revenue: