diff --git a/src/registrar/admin.py b/src/registrar/admin.py
index 8f00ab519..870fb900e 100644
--- a/src/registrar/admin.py
+++ b/src/registrar/admin.py
@@ -1973,7 +1973,9 @@ class DomainRequestAdmin(ListHeaderAdmin, ImportExportModelAdmin):
                 if domain_request.action_needed_reason == enum_value and domain_request.action_needed_reason_email:
                     custom_text = domain_request.action_needed_reason_email
 
-                emails[enum_value] = self._get_action_needed_reason_default_email(domain_request, enum_value, custom_text)
+                emails[enum_value] = self._get_action_needed_reason_default_email(
+                    domain_request, enum_value, custom_text
+                )
         return json.dumps(emails)
 
     def _get_action_needed_reason_default_email(self, domain_request, action_needed_reason, custom_text=None):
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/domain_request.py b/src/registrar/models/domain_request.py
index 1d26e0d2f..f2f43be33 100644
--- a/src/registrar/models/domain_request.py
+++ b/src/registrar/models/domain_request.py
@@ -612,8 +612,8 @@ class DomainRequest(TimeStampedModel):
 
         super().save(*args, **kwargs)
 
-        # Handle the action needed email. We send one when moving to action_needed,
-        # but we don't send one when we are _already_ in the state and change the reason.
+        # Handle the action needed email.
+        # An email is sent out when action_needed_reason is changed or added.
         if self.status == self.DomainRequestStatus.ACTION_NEEDED and self.action_needed_reason:
             self.sync_action_needed_reason()
 
@@ -683,7 +683,15 @@ class DomainRequest(TimeStampedModel):
             logger.error(f"Can't query an approved domain while attempting {called_from}")
 
     def _send_status_update_email(
-        self, new_status, email_template, email_template_subject, bcc_address="", context=None, **kwargs
+        self,
+        new_status,
+        email_template,
+        email_template_subject,
+        bcc_address="",
+        context=None,
+        send_email=True,
+        wrap_email=False,
+        custom_email_content=None,
     ):
         """Send a status update email to the creator.
 
@@ -694,7 +702,11 @@ class DomainRequest(TimeStampedModel):
         If the waffle flag "profile_feature" is active, then this email will be sent to the
         domain request creator rather than the submitter
 
-        kwargs:
+        Optional args:
+        bcc_address: str -> the address to bcc to
+
+        context: dict -> The context sent to the template
+
         send_email: bool -> Used to bypass the send_templated_email function, in the event
         we just want to log that an email would have been sent, rather than actually sending one.
 
@@ -704,11 +716,6 @@ class DomainRequest(TimeStampedModel):
         custom_email_content: str -> Renders an email with the content of this string as its body text.
         """
 
-        # Email config options
-        wrap_email = kwargs.get("wrap_email", False)
-        send_email = kwargs.get("send_email", True)
-        custom_email_content = kwargs.get("custom_email_content", None)
-
         recipient = self.creator if flag_is_active(None, "profile_feature") else self.submitter
         if recipient is None or recipient.email is None:
             logger.warning(