Update version_branch.yml

.github/workflows/version_branch.yml

@@ -95,6 +95,82 @@ jobs:
           git checkout -B "${BRANCH_NAME}" "origin/${BASE_BRANCH}"
           echo "BRANCH_NAME=${BRANCH_NAME}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
 
+      - name: Ensure CHANGELOG.md has an H2 immediately after TODO block (repo creation)
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -Eeuo pipefail
+          trap 'echo "[FATAL] CHANGELOG initialization failed at line $LINENO" >&2; echo "[FATAL] Last command: $BASH_COMMAND" >&2' ERR
+
+          if [[ ! -f "CHANGELOG.md" ]]; then
+            echo "[INFO] CHANGELOG.md missing. Pulling baseline from MokoDefaults/generic-git (main)."
+
+            BASE_URL="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoDefaults/main/generic-git/CHANGELOG.md"
+
+            if ! curl -fsSL "${BASE_URL}" -o CHANGELOG.md; then
+              echo "[FATAL] Unable to fetch baseline CHANGELOG.md from: ${BASE_URL}" >&2
+              echo "[FATAL] Validate repository visibility and path: MokoDefaults/main/generic-git/CHANGELOG.md" >&2
+              exit 2
+            fi
+
+            echo "[INFO] Baseline CHANGELOG.md retrieved"
+          fi
+
+          python3 - <<'PY'
+import os
+import re
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from pathlib import Path
+
+new_version = os.environ.get('NEW_VERSION', '').strip() or '00.00.00'
+
+p = Path('CHANGELOG.md')
+text = p.read_text(encoding='utf-8', errors='replace').splitlines(True)
+
+todo_re = re.compile(r'^##\s*\[?TODO\]?\s*$', re.IGNORECASE)
+h2_re = re.compile(r'^##\s+')
+bullet_re = re.compile(r'^\s*[-*+]\s+')
+blank_re = re.compile(r'^\s*$')
+
+idx = None
+for i, line in enumerate(text):
+  if todo_re.match(line.rstrip('\n').rstrip('\r')):
+    idx = i
+    break
+
+if idx is None:
+  print('[INFO] No TODO section found. No action taken.')
+  raise SystemExit(0)
+
+j = idx + 1
+saw_bullet = False
+while j < len(text):
+  line = text[j].rstrip('\n').rstrip('\r')
+  if bullet_re.match(line):
+    saw_bullet = True
+    j += 1
+    continue
+  if blank_re.match(line):
+    j += 1
+    continue
+  break
+
+if not saw_bullet:
+  print('[INFO] TODO section missing bullet list, inserting placeholder bullet')
+  text.insert(idx + 1, '- Placeholder TODO item\n')
+  j = idx + 2
+
+if j < len(text) and h2_re.match(text[j]):
+  print('[INFO] TODO block already followed by an H2. No action taken.')
+  raise SystemExit(0)
+
+stamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
+insert = f"\n## [{new_version}] {stamp}\n"
+print('[INFO] Inserting initial H2 after TODO block')
+
+text.insert(j, insert)
+p.write_text(''.join(text), encoding='utf-8')
+PY
+
       - name: Preflight discovery (src and docs only)
         shell: bash
         run: |