fix: resolve task lane stale state, partial submit, and closure bugs

- Import and call clearTaskState before updating questions/actions in
  handleSend and handleTaskSubmit so new AI tasks always replace stale
  sessionStorage cache instead of being overridden by it
- Include pending (not yet completed) tasks in the AI message on partial
  submit so the AI knows which tasks were left unanswered
- Fix stale closure in TaskLane saveTaskLane useEffect — use refs for
  questions/actions so the debounced backend save always uses current values
- Add responses field to pending_task_lane TypeScript type, removing the
  unsafe double-cast in selectChat
- Instruct the AI to re-surface incomplete tasks unless ≥75% confident
  the information is no longer needed

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

backend/app/services/assistant_chat_service.py

@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ scope narrows it to this endpoint.
 - JSON array of objects with `text` (required) and `context` (optional, 1 sentence)
 - 1-3 questions per response
 - Do NOT ask questions inline in your prose. ALL questions go in the marker.
+- If the engineer's message contains tasks marked `_(not yet completed)_`, re-include \
+those as questions/actions in your next response UNLESS you are ≥75% confident the \
+information is no longer needed to resolve the issue. Default to keeping them.
 
 **[ACTIONS] marker format:**
 - JSON array of objects with `label` (required), `command` (optional), `description` (required)
@@ -155,6 +158,8 @@ To create a fork, append this marker AFTER your [QUESTIONS]/[ACTIONS] markers:
 Every single response MUST contain [QUESTIONS] and/or [ACTIONS] markers with valid JSON. \
 No exceptions. Not even when forking. A response without at least one of these markers \
 will crash the UI. If you are unsure, include both. The markers are REQUIRED output, not optional.
+If any tasks in the engineer's message are marked `_(not yet completed)_`, re-include them \
+in your markers unless you are ≥75% confident that information is no longer relevant.
 """
 
 

frontend/src/components/assistant/TaskLane.tsx

@@ -130,6 +130,14 @@ export function TaskLane({ questions, actions, sessionId, onSubmit, onClose, loa
     }
   }, [handleMouseMove, handleMouseUp])
 
+  // Refs so the debounced save always uses the latest questions/actions/tasks
+  const questionsRef = useRef(questions)
+  const actionsRef = useRef(actions)
+  const tasksRef = useRef(tasks)
+  useEffect(() => { questionsRef.current = questions }, [questions])
+  useEffect(() => { actionsRef.current = actions }, [actions])
+  useEffect(() => { tasksRef.current = tasks }, [tasks])
+
   // Save task state to sessionStorage on every change + debounce to backend
   const saveTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null)
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -139,9 +147,9 @@ export function TaskLane({ questions, actions, sessionId, onSubmit, onClose, loa
     if (saveTimerRef.current) clearTimeout(saveTimerRef.current)
     saveTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
       aiSessionsApi.saveTaskLane(sessionId, {
-        questions: questions.map(q => ({ text: q.text, context: q.context })),
+        questions: questionsRef.current.map(q => ({ text: q.text, context: q.context })),
-        actions: actions.map(a => ({ label: a.label, command: a.command, description: a.description })),
+        actions: actionsRef.current.map(a => ({ label: a.label, command: a.command, description: a.description })),
-        responses: tasks as unknown as Array<Record<string, unknown>>,
+        responses: tasksRef.current as unknown as Array<Record<string, unknown>>,
       }).catch(() => { /* silent — best-effort save */ })
     }, 2000)
     return () => { if (saveTimerRef.current) clearTimeout(saveTimerRef.current) }

frontend/src/pages/AssistantChatPage.tsx

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { analytics } from '@/lib/analytics'
 import { toast } from '@/lib/toast'
 import { ChatSidebar, ChatSidebarCollapsedBar } from '@/components/assistant/ChatSidebar'
 import { ChatMessage } from '@/components/assistant/ChatMessage'
-import { TaskLane } from '@/components/assistant/TaskLane'
+import { TaskLane, clearTaskState } from '@/components/assistant/TaskLane'
 import { ConcludeSessionModal } from '@/components/assistant/ConcludeSessionModal'
 import { StatusUpdateModal } from '@/components/flowpilot/StatusUpdateModal'
 import type { ChatListItem, ConclusionOutcome } from '@/types/assistant-chat'
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ export default function AssistantChatPage() {
         if (q.length > 0 || a.length > 0) {
           // Pre-load user's saved responses into sessionStorage BEFORE setting props
           // so TaskLane can restore them on mount/prop-change
-          const responses = (detail.pending_task_lane as Record<string, unknown>).responses as unknown[] | undefined
+          const responses = detail.pending_task_lane.responses
           if (responses && responses.length > 0) {
             try {
               sessionStorage.setItem(`rf-tasklane-state:${chatId}`, JSON.stringify(responses))
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ export default function AssistantChatPage() {
       const hasQuestions = response.questions && response.questions.length > 0
       const hasActions = response.actions && response.actions.length > 0
       if (hasQuestions || hasActions) {
+        if (activeChatId) clearTaskState(activeChatId)
         setActiveQuestions(response.questions || [])
         setActiveActions(response.actions || [])
         setShowTaskLane(true)
@@ -358,7 +359,8 @@ export default function AssistantChatPage() {
   const handleTaskSubmit = async (responses: Array<{ type: string; state: string; value: string; text?: string; label?: string }>) => {
     if (!activeChatId || loading) return
 
-    // Format task responses into a structured message for the AI
+    // Format task responses into a structured message for the AI.
+    // Pending tasks are included so the AI knows they weren't completed yet.
     const parts: string[] = []
     for (const r of responses) {
       const name = r.type === 'question' ? `Q: ${r.text}` : r.label || 'Check'
@@ -366,6 +368,8 @@ export default function AssistantChatPage() {
         parts.push(`**${name}:**\n\`\`\`\n${r.value.trim()}\n\`\`\``)
       } else if (r.state === 'skipped') {
         parts.push(`**${name}:** _(skipped)_`)
+      } else {
+        parts.push(`**${name}:** _(not yet completed)_`)
       }
     }
     const userMessage = parts.join('\n\n')
@@ -385,6 +389,7 @@ export default function AssistantChatPage() {
       // Update task lane based on AI response
       const hasQuestions = response.questions && response.questions.length > 0
       const hasActions = response.actions && response.actions.length > 0
+      if (activeChatId) clearTaskState(activeChatId)
       if (hasQuestions || hasActions) {
         setActiveQuestions(response.questions || [])
         setActiveActions(response.actions || [])

frontend/src/types/ai-session.ts

@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ export interface AISessionDetail extends AISessionSummary {
   ticket_data: Record<string, unknown> | null
   steps: AISessionStepResponse[]
   conversation_messages: Array<{ role: string; content: string }>
-  pending_task_lane: { questions: QuestionItem[]; actions: ActionItem[] } | null
+  pending_task_lane: { questions: QuestionItem[]; actions: ActionItem[]; responses?: Array<Record<string, unknown>> } | null
   is_branching: boolean
   active_branch_id: string | null
 }