determinize: live-state-before-policy rule + BP-25 candidate (Amara Determinize-stage)

docs/BACKLOG.md

@@ -6883,6 +6883,33 @@ Keeping them adjacent preserves the directive cluster.
   schema for adversarial-training-corpus risks; Kenji
   synthesizes the dual-use deliverable.
 
+## P2 — BP-25 promotion candidate — live-state-before-policy
+
+- [ ] **Promote "live-state-before-policy" to BP-25 via ADR.**
+  Amara's 4th ferry (PR #221 absorb) named the rule; Otto-72
+  landed schema-enforcement of it via the `live_state_checks:`
+  field in `docs/decision-proxy-evidence/` records (documented
+  in the `README.md` "Live-state-before-policy" section
+  after PR <this>). BP-NN promotion is Aarav's call per the
+  BP-NN-promotion-cadence FACTORY-HYGIENE row; this row
+  queues the promotion consideration. Rule text candidate:
+  *"Never recommend a repository settings change, required-
+  check change, merge policy change, or branch-rule change
+  unless the current live state has been queried in the same
+  work unit."* **Scope:** draft ADR under
+  `docs/DECISIONS/YYYY-MM-DD-bp-25-live-state-before-policy.md`
+  citing the Amara ferry + the schema-enforcement in
+  `docs/decision-proxy-evidence/README.md` + the HB-004
+  failure-mode evidence Amara sampled. If adopted, promote
+  to BP-25 in `docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md` (current max
+  is BP-24). **Effort:** S (ADR drafting + policy
+  inclusion). **Owner:** Aarav drives the promotion call;
+  Kenji integrates; Rune readability. **Source of truth:**
+  `docs/aurora/2026-04-23-amara-memory-drift-alignment-
+  claude-to-memories-drift.md` (PR #221 absorb) +
+  `docs/decision-proxy-evidence/README.md` (PR #222 + this
+  PR's addendum).
+
 ## P1 — Principle-adherence review cadence (Otto-58 new hygiene class)
 
 - [ ] **Principle-adherence review — cadenced agent judgment on

docs/decision-proxy-evidence/README.md

@@ -205,6 +205,71 @@ author can set `false` with a one-line justification in
 
 ---
 
+## Live-state-before-policy — the principle behind `live_state_checks:`
+
+Amara's 4th ferry (PR #221) named this as a Determinize-
+stage rule, paired with the evidence-record format:
+
+> Never recommend a repository settings change, required-
+> check change, merge policy change, or branch-rule change
+> unless the current live state has been queried in the
+> same work unit.
+
+**Why it exists:** Amara's commit-sample HB-004 arc shows
+the failure mode — same-day propose-from-symptoms → policy-
+stance → empirical-correction. The pattern generalizes
+whenever an agent proposes substrate changes from inferred
+state rather than verified state. The fix is mechanical:
+run the `gh api` / `git log` / equivalent check **first**,
+propose **second**.
+
+**How the schema enforces it:**
+
+The `live_state_checks:` field is required for every
+`settings-change` and `branch-shaping` task class. At least
+one entry must name an actual command that was executed to
+verify the state the decision operates on. Examples from
+the DP-001 worked example:
+
+- `gh api repos/Lucent-Financial-Group/Zeta/branches/main/protection`
+- `gh api repos/AceHack/Zeta --jq '.fork // .parent.full_name'`
+- `gh api users/AceHack/events (repo-level create/delete scan)`
+
+An evidence record with an empty `live_state_checks:` array
+for those task classes is a flag: either the rule was
+skipped (fix the record), or the task class was
+misclassified (change the field).
+
+**Scope:**
+
+Applies whenever a durable change to state-with-public-
+consequences is proposed:
+
+- Settings changes (repo, org, branch, workflow,
+  required-checks, rulesets)
+- Branch-shaping (branch-protection, policy flips, merge
+  method changes)
+- Scope / authority claims that assume repo state
+  ("I'll merge this because branch protection allows it")
+- Roadmap edits that assume current capability state
+  ("this works because test X passes" — verify test X
+  actually passes)
+
+Does NOT apply to:
+
+- Pure read / observation work (research docs, memory
+  absorbs, BACKLOG row filings that don't assert state)
+- Mechanical fixes where the state is self-evident in
+  the change (typo, lint, format)
+
+**Future BP-NN promotion candidate:** this rule meets the
+bar for a stable BP rule per `docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md`
+(multiple occurrences + cross-agent applicability). Aarav
+considers for BP-25 promotion via ADR; until then it lives
+here as schema-enforced practice.
+
+---
+
 ## Relationship to the "hard rule"
 
 Across all four Amara ferries (PRs #196, #211, #219, #221)