A new attribute on ElementInternals, 'shadowRoot', allows custom elements to access their own ShadowRoot, regardless of open/closed status. Additionally, further restrictions are added to the attachInternals() API to ensure that custom elements get the first chance to attach the ElementInternals interface. With this change, the attachInternals() function will throw an exception if called prior to the custom element constructor being run.
This feature was mostly driven, at least initially, by the declarative Shadow DOM feature introduction. With declarative Shadow DOM, there was a problem with closed shadow roots: declarative shadow content loads before the custom element is upgraded, which means that closed shadow content would have been inaccessible. In addition to the declarative Shadow DOM use case, this feature also offers a convenience to custom element authors, who no longer need to keep a reference to attached shadow roots, and can instead use the ElementInternals interface.