diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3939e0d..99e9b0f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,15 @@ compatible, or editorial.
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Clarified the unreleased Comic Manifest 1.0.0 candidate's (#95 prerequisite)
+  detached approval time bounds: decision time is inclusive, expiry is exclusive
+  at both action and scoped publication time. The test-only oracle preserves
+  submillisecond precision across variable fractional widths, accepts the full
+  schema timestamp separator forms, and validates trusted action calendar/clock
+  fields before comparison and fails closed on unsupported leap seconds. Synthetic
+  fixtures cover equal instants, expiry, future decisions and malformed action
+  times; no released contract bytes change.
+
 - Extended the unreleased Comic Manifest 1.0.0 candidate for Studio #94 with
   immutable versioned output profiles, per-output limits, exact requirement/result/
   release metadata matching and explicit rights/accessibility/publication boundaries.
diff --git a/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1-approval-times.json b/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1-approval-times.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22aced5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1-approval-times.json
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+[
+  {
+    "name": "approval remains valid at decision time",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:11:00Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "action just before expiry remains valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.000Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:00:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.001Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "publication just before expiry remains valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:05:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.001Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "action at expiry is expired",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:09:59.999Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "publication at expiry is expired",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:09:59.999Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "decision after action time is not yet valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.001Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:11:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "submillisecond action just before expiry remains valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0000Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0000Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "submillisecond publication just before expiry remains valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:05:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.00010Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.00011Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "equivalent fractional widths preserve inclusive decision equality",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:02:00.0001000Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.00010Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00.0001Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.00011Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "action at expiry is expired across fractional widths",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0001000Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:09:59.999Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "publication at expiry is expired across fractional widths",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:09:59.999999Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0001000Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "future submillisecond decision is rejected",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0009Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0009Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.0010Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "equivalent instants across accepted timestamp separators remain valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15t12:10:00.0001000Z",
+    "schema_valid_action_time": true,
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15\t12:10:00.00010Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15 12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T12:10:00.00011Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "valid leap-day action time remains valid",
+    "action_time": "2024-02-29t12:10:00Z",
+    "schema_valid_action_time": true,
+    "publication_time": "2024-02-29 12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2024-02-29T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2024-02-29T12:11:00Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "last ordinary second with maximum schema precision remains valid",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:59.99999999999Z",
+    "schema_valid_action_time": true,
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15 23:59:59.99999999999Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T23:59:59.99999999998Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": true
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "action at expiry is expired across accepted timestamp separators",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15 12:10:00.0001000Z",
+    "schema_valid_action_time": true,
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:09:59.999Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15t12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15t12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "publication at expiry is expired across accepted timestamp separators",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:09:59.999999Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15t12:10:00.0001000Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15 12:10:00.0001Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "invalid trusted action hour is rejected",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T24:00:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "invalid trusted action minute is rejected",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:60:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "invalid trusted action second is rejected",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T12:03:99Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "invalid trusted action calendar date is rejected",
+    "action_time": "2026-02-30T12:10:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-02-28T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-02-28T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-03-01T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "invalid non-leap-year February 29 action date is rejected",
+    "action_time": "2025-02-29T12:10:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2025-02-28T12:10:00Z",
+    "decided_at": "2025-02-28T12:02:00Z",
+    "expires_at": "2025-03-01T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "schema-valid midmonth leap-second action time is unsupported",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:60Z",
+    "schema_valid_action_time": true,
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:59Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T23:59:58Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:00:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "schema-valid leap-second decision cannot authorize",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-16T00:00:00Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:59Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T23:59:60Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:01:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "schema-valid leap-second expiry cannot grant authority",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:59Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:59Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T23:59:58Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-15T23:59:60Z",
+    "valid": false
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "schema-valid leap-second publication time cannot authorize",
+    "action_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:59Z",
+    "publication_time": "2026-09-15T23:59:60Z",
+    "decided_at": "2026-09-15T23:59:58Z",
+    "expires_at": "2026-09-16T00:01:00Z",
+    "valid": false
+  }
+]
diff --git a/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1.md b/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1.md
index d75d5cf..15a3771 100644
--- a/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1.md
+++ b/fixtures/comic-manifest-v1.md
@@ -21,8 +21,17 @@ correction, partial/failed evidence, deterministic identity, exact versioned out
 profiles, inclusive pixel/byte boundaries, profile/media incompatibility, missing,
 duplicate and undeclared outputs, accessibility/rights metadata mismatch, unknown
 versions/fields, ordered identities, immutable references, package bindings,
-stale/revoked/forged approvals, public gates and private-context projection. Tests
-compose non-rendered image/PDF placeholder bytes to exercise declared profile
+stale/revoked/forged approvals, approval-time boundaries, public gates and
+private-context projection. The [approval-time fixture matrix](comic-manifest-v1-approval-times.json)
+covers inclusive decision equality, just-before and equal expiry at both action
+and publication time, future decisions, submillisecond boundaries, equal
+instants with different fractional widths, and equivalent instants using the
+uppercase `T`, lowercase `t`, or a single whitespace separator accepted by the
+schema. Trusted action-time cases cover invalid hours, minutes, seconds and
+calendar dates, valid leap-day and maximum-precision ordinary-second controls,
+and fail-closed behavior for schema-valid second-60 timestamps in action,
+decision, expiry and publication fields.
+The tests compose non-rendered image/PDF placeholder bytes to exercise declared profile
 relationships; they deliberately do not claim media signatures or rendering.
 Output text bytes and public dependency bytes are explicit fixture inputs and
 independently hashed. Tests never create an approval from a production runtime or
diff --git a/rfcs/0007-comic-manifest-v1.md b/rfcs/0007-comic-manifest-v1.md
index 4e7cf17..bf2d9d0 100644
--- a/rfcs/0007-comic-manifest-v1.md
+++ b/rfcs/0007-comic-manifest-v1.md
@@ -15,6 +15,20 @@ approval bindings avoid circular hashes and preserve exact scope without grantin
 authority from schema validity. Public private-context lineage uses approved random
 attestations and protected mappings, not protected record IDs or hashes.
 
+Trusted approval-time evaluation uses an inclusive decision-time bound and an
+exclusive expiry bound: `decided_at <= action_time < expires_at`. The publication
+time named in the exact scope must also be strictly earlier than `expires_at`.
+Equality with `decided_at` is valid; equality with `expires_at` at either the
+action or scoped publication time is expired. Before comparison, a verifier must
+validate trusted `action_time` against the candidate schema's `$defs/time`
+constraints, including calendar and clock ranges; invalid values must fail closed.
+Approval-time comparisons support seconds `00` through `59`; a timestamp with
+second `60` must fail closed for this check, even if its shape passes JSON Schema
+date-time format validation. This deliberately does not infer leap-second dates.
+Valid `T`, `t`, or single-whitespace separators and fractional seconds remain
+accepted as defined by that schema. This records the existing test-oracle
+relationship as an explicit contract rule.
+
 Codex owns normative meaning. Platform validates and supplies a test-only consumer
 proof against the existing released SDK/Builder output. Universe owns public
 publication and canon; private source owners retain access/disclosure authority.
diff --git a/specs/manifests/comic-manifest-v1.md b/specs/manifests/comic-manifest-v1.md
index 538d465..24eae8d 100644
--- a/specs/manifests/comic-manifest-v1.md
+++ b/specs/manifests/comic-manifest-v1.md
@@ -266,8 +266,23 @@ raw artifact digests (empty for production review), exact release `scope`, revie
 role/actor, decision UUID, UTC decision/expiry and external authority reference.
 A binding is necessary evidence, not an authenticated grant. Trusted verification
 MUST bind the actual reviewer to the role, subject, scope and decision, check
-revocation and current time, and fail closed on missing evidence. It MUST be valid
-at the actual action and authorized publication time. Never trust an allow boolean.
+revocation and current time, and fail closed on missing evidence. Let `action_time`
+be the trusted time at which the authorization-dependent action is evaluated. The
+verifier MUST validate `action_time` against the candidate schema's `$defs/time`
+constraints, including calendar and clock ranges, before comparison. Invalid
+calendar dates and out-of-range clock fields MUST fail closed. Approval-time
+comparisons support seconds `00` through `59`; a timestamp with second `60` MUST
+fail closed for this check, even if its shape passes JSON Schema date-time format
+validation. This deliberately does not infer leap-second dates. Valid `T`, `t`, or
+single-whitespace separators and fractional seconds remain accepted as defined by
+the schema. The time check MUST satisfy `decided_at <= action_time < expires_at`; it MUST also
+satisfy `scope.publication_time < expires_at` for the publication time named in the
+exact scope. Expiry is exclusive: an action or scoped publication at exactly
+`expires_at` is expired, while an action at exactly `decided_at` is valid. A
+decision later than `action_time` is not yet valid. The publication-time check
+continues to use the existing scope relationship; this clarification adds no
+separate ordering rule between `decided_at` and `scope.publication_time`. Never
+trust an allow boolean.
 
 The production-reviewer approves the exact production intent for its declared
 scope. Publisher and canon-editor decisions bind the exact public release payload
diff --git a/tests/comic-manifest.test.cjs b/tests/comic-manifest.test.cjs
index 6d0358d..6bf8520 100644
--- a/tests/comic-manifest.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/comic-manifest.test.cjs
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ const read = path => JSON.parse(readFileSync(resolve(__dirname, '..', path)));
 const schema = read('schemas/json/comic-manifest/v1/comic-manifest.schema.json');
 const ajv = new Ajv({ strict: true, strictRequired: false, strictTypes: false, allErrors: true }); addFormats(ajv);
 const validate = ajv.compile(schema), approval = ajv.compile({ $ref: schema.$id + '#/$defs/approval' });
+const timestamp = ajv.compile(schema.$defs.time);
 const base = read('fixtures/comic-manifest-v1.json'), foundation = read('fixtures/context-builder-v1.json');
+const approvalTimeCases = read('fixtures/comic-manifest-v1-approval-times.json');
 function schemaValid(s) {
   for (const k of ['production','result','release']) assert.equal(validate(s[k]), true, `${k}: ${JSON.stringify(validate.errors)}`);
   for (const a of s.approvals) assert.equal(approval(a), true, JSON.stringify(approval.errors));
@@ -73,6 +75,22 @@ test('all detached approval fields are closed and exactly versioned', () => {
   assert.equal(approval({...base.approvals[0],allow:true}),false);
   assert.equal(approval({...base.approvals[0],spec_version:'2.0.0'}),false);
 });
+for (const c of approvalTimeCases) test(c.name, () => {
+  const s = structuredClone(base);
+  s.at = c.action_time;
+  if (c.schema_valid_action_time !== undefined) assert.equal(timestamp(s.at), c.schema_valid_action_time);
+  s.release.scope.publication_time = c.publication_time;
+  for (const a of s.approvals) {
+    a.decided_at = c.decided_at;
+    a.expires_at = c.expires_at;
+  }
+  s.release.approvers = s.approvals.filter(a => a.role !== 'production-reviewer')
+    .map(({ decision_id, role, actor, decided_at }) => ({ decision_id, role, actor, decided_at }));
+  rebind(s);
+  schemaValid(s);
+  if (c.valid) verifyScenario(s, foundation);
+  else assert.throws(() => verifyScenario(s, foundation), /APPROVAL_TIME/);
+});
 for (const c of read('fixtures/comic-manifest-v1-cases.json')) test(c.name, () => {
   const s = structuredClone(base);
   for (const edit of c.edits) {
diff --git a/tests/support/comic-manifest-oracle.cjs b/tests/support/comic-manifest-oracle.cjs
index 910c459..f02f738 100644
--- a/tests/support/comic-manifest-oracle.cjs
+++ b/tests/support/comic-manifest-oracle.cjs
@@ -7,6 +7,30 @@ const check = (v, code) => assert.ok(v, code);
 const unique = (xs, code) => eq(new Set(xs).size, xs.length, code);
 const rank = c => ['public', 'internal', 'confidential', 'restricted'].indexOf(c);
 const gates = ['editorial', 'canon-continuity', 'visual-text', 'integrity', 'provenance', 'security-privacy', 'rights', 'accessibility', 'packaging'];
+function parseUtcInstant(value) {
+  if (typeof value !== 'string' || value.length > 32) return null;
+  const match = /^(\d{4})-(\d{2})-(\d{2})[Tt\s](\d{2}):(\d{2}):(\d{2})(?:\.(\d+))?Z$/.exec(value);
+  if (!match) return null;
+  const [, yearText, monthText, dayText, hourText, minuteText, secondText, fraction] = match;
+  const year = Number(yearText), month = Number(monthText), day = Number(dayText);
+  const hour = Number(hourText), minute = Number(minuteText), second = Number(secondText);
+  const leapYear = year % 4 === 0 && (year % 100 !== 0 || year % 400 === 0);
+  const days = [0, 31, leapYear ? 29 : 28, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31];
+  if (month < 1 || month > 12 || day < 1 || day > days[month]) return null;
+  if (hour > 23 || minute > 59 || second > 59) return null;
+  return {
+    wholeSecond: `${yearText}-${monthText}-${dayText}T${hourText}:${minuteText}:${secondText}`,
+    fraction: fraction ?? ''
+  };
+}
+function compareUtcInstants(left, right) {
+  const a = parseUtcInstant(left), b = parseUtcInstant(right);
+  check(a && b, 'APPROVAL_TIME');
+  if (a.wholeSecond !== b.wholeSecond) return a.wholeSecond < b.wholeSecond ? -1 : 1;
+  const width = Math.max(a.fraction.length, b.fraction.length);
+  const af = a.fraction.padEnd(width, '0'), bf = b.fraction.padEnd(width, '0');
+  return af < bf ? -1 : af > bf ? 1 : 0;
+}
 const renditionProfiles = {
   'comic-page-image@1.0.0': { media: ['image/png', 'image/jpeg', 'image/webp'], maxBytes: 50_000_000, image: true },
   'comic-portable-document@1.0.0': { media: ['application/pdf'], maxBytes: 50_000_000, image: false },
@@ -96,8 +120,9 @@ function verifyApproval(a, subject, artifacts, scope, s) {
   eq(a.subject, identity(subject), 'APPROVAL_SUBJECT');
   eq(a.artifact_digests, artifacts.map(x => x.artifact.sha256).sort(), 'APPROVAL_ARTIFACTS');
   eq(a.scope, scope, 'APPROVAL_SCOPE');
-  const at = Date.parse(s.at);
-  check(Date.parse(a.decided_at) <= at && at < Date.parse(a.expires_at) && Date.parse(scope.publication_time) < Date.parse(a.expires_at), 'APPROVAL_TIME');
+  // Validate trusted action time before comparing arbitrary schema-valid fractions.
+  check(compareUtcInstants(a.decided_at, s.at) <= 0 && compareUtcInstants(s.at, a.expires_at) < 0 &&
+    compareUtcInstants(scope.publication_time, a.expires_at) < 0, 'APPROVAL_TIME');
   // A test harness supplies trusted decisions OUTSIDE untrusted record bytes.
   const trusted = s.trust.approvals.find(x => x.decision_id === a.decision_id);
   check(trusted && trusted.sha256 === identity(a).sha256 && !s.trust.revoked.includes(a.decision_id), 'APPROVAL_TRUST');