SARATOGA COUNTY — A new federal law providing faster and better coordinated police response when a college-aged student is reported missing carries the name of a young Saratoga County woman who went missing 10 years ago.

President George W. Bush signed the Higher Education Opportunity Act late last week. The law includes the “Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act.”

“I’m so gratified and so pleased,” said U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, of the legislation she introduced and successfully moved through Congress.

“It’s been 10 years since her disappearance,” Gillibrand noted.

Suzanne Lyall, then 19, was a student at the University at Albany on March 2, 1998. She was last seen at the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland where she worked.

Douglas and Mary Lyall of Milton, Suzanne’s parents, said campus police were first to respond to the missing person case, then the Guilderland Police Department became involved and later Albany city police and the Albany County Sheriff’s Department. The state police finally took over the case.

The investigation was confusing and time consuming, the Lyalls have said, as they encouraged state and federal lawmakers to pass legislation to provide faster and better coordinated police response to abductions and missing persons cases.

“We can never, with 100 percent surety, guarantee the safety of every student on every campus,” the Lyalls said in a joint statement.

“But we can guarantee to do everything in our power to have laws and procedures in place to protect our students as much as possible,” the Lyalls said.

“Congresswoman Gillibrand’s amendment will help protect more students on college campuses,” the Lyalls said.

Gillibrand said Monday, “This is something the Lyalls had a passion about.” She said Suzanne’s parents took a tragedy, and through their long and effective advocacy for better response to such crimes, have turned the tragedy into something positive.

“This is something that will really make a difference,” Gillibrand said in a telephone interview.

“The first 24 to 48 hours are the most important hours in solving abduction cases before the victim is killed,” Gillibrand said.

The Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act requires all colleges and universities to have a clear policy outlining the role and responsibilities for campus, local and state police if a violent crime, such as an abduction, occurs on campus.

The Lyall amendment is intended to minimize confusion and delays during the initial investigation of a violent felony, according to Gillibrand.

Then-Gov. George Pataki signed a similar state campus safety act into law in 1999.

Gillibrand said it is “quite special” to have a person’s name attached to a piece of federal legislation, such as the Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act.

She said she has seen only a handful of such personalized bills adopted during her tenure in Washington representing the 20th Congressional District.

“It is unusual,” she said.

“These provisions will protect more college students from serious danger, which is perhaps the best way that we can honor Suzanne’s life,” Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand, who is serving her first term in Congress, said she was also pleased that this was the first bill she has sponsored that has been signed into law in its entirety.

“It’s all due to the Lyalls’ advocacy,” she said.

The amendment was to the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, legislation that reauthorizes the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which outlines the federal government’s funding commitment for postsecondary institutions.

Gillbrand said that children are protected by the federal Amber Alert legislation in cases of abduction. With the Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act, college-aged students will have a similar protection in cases of abduction, she said.