(a) When hiring an employee, a private employer may grant an employment preference to
(1) a person in active service, on furlough from active service, or discharged under honorable conditions from service in
(A) the armed forces of the United States;
(B) a reserve unit of the armed forces of the United States;
(C) the Alaska Territorial Guard;
(D) the Alaska Army National Guard;
(E) the Alaska Air National Guard; or
(F) the Alaska Naval Militia;
(2) the spouse or dependent child of a person described in (1) of this subsection; and
(3) the surviving spouse or a dependent child of a person who, at the time of death, was a person in active service or on furlough from active service as described in (1) of this subsection.
(b) In this section, “dependent child” means a natural child, stepchild, or adopted child who is
(1) permanently disabled; or
(2) under
(A) 19 years of age; or
(B) 23 years of age and registered at and attending on a full-time basis an accredited educational or technical institution recognized by the Department of Education and Early Development.