(a)
Whenever, during the absence of an employee of a school district, or student body association operating under Sections 48930 to 48937, inclusive, in the active military service of the United States of America during any period of national emergency declared by the President of the United States of America, or during any war in which the United States of America is engaged, the position held by the employee at the time of his or her entrance into that military service is placed within the classified service of the district and an eligible list is established for the position through competitive examination, the employee shall, at his or her request made within six months after leaving that active military service under honorable conditions, be given forthwith an examination of substantially the same character and scope as the competitive examination through which the original eligibility list was established. The grade secured by the employee in that examination shall be deemed to be the grade he or she would have secured had he or she taken the competitive examination as a veteran, and the employee shall be placed on the original eligibility list accordingly with all the rights and privileges to which he or she would have been entitled had he or she had that place on the original eligibility list at the time of its establishment.
(b)
Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any member of the Military Reserve or the National Guard who is called to active duty, either voluntarily or involuntarily, during any period of national emergency declared by the President of the United States of America, or during any war in which the United States of America is engaged, shall be entitled to any rights, in addition to the rights accorded under subdivision (a), that are accorded that member under the federal Veterans’ Reemployment Rights Law or any other applicable provision of federal law.