import type { DesignLintPolicy } from '../core/types.js';
/**
 * Attempts to load and merge `designlint.policy.json` starting from
 * `startDir`. Returns `undefined` when no policy file is found, allowing
 * the caller to treat a missing policy as "no restrictions".
 *
 * @param startDir - Directory to start the upward search from (typically the
 *   directory containing the nearest `designlint.config.json`).
 * @returns The resolved policy, or `undefined` if none is found.
 */
export declare function loadPolicy(startDir: string): DesignLintPolicy | undefined;
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