AUSTIN (KXAN) – This school year, a new law is redefining what misconduct Texas schools are required to report and raises the stakes for what happens when school leaders fail to act quickly.

The Texas Education Agency said it is still in the process of finalizing guidance for school districts under Senate Bill 571, which was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, but in a memo to school districts the agency laid out key changes under the new law.

Key changes under Senate Bill 571

The most notable changes under SB 571 are the additions to the definition of abuse. The law amends the state’s definition of abuse under the Texas Penal Code to now include “an improper relationship between an educator and a student.”

The law also shortens the time frame that mandatory reporters have to report su

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