HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Governor Josh Shapiro’s Secretary of State, Human Services, and Revenue nominees formally became secretaries of their respective offices despite not receiving a formal Senate confirmation vote.

The Governor’s office made the announcement on Thursday morning, congratulating Department of Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh, Department of Revenue Secretary Pat Browne, and Department of State Secretary Al Schmidt.

According to the State Constitution, “if the Senate for any reason fails to act upon a nomination submitted to it within the required 25 legislative days, the nominee shall take office as if the appointment had been consented to by the Senate.”

“They all bring decades of experience, public service, and expertise to their respective agencies — and will work to deliver for Pennsylvanians,” said Governor Shapiro on Thursday.

Schmidt, a Republican, previously served as a Philadelphia city commissioner in Philadelphia and was the Vice Chairman of the city’s Board of Elections.

“I am an administrator. I am not an activist. I am an advocate for improving voter access and an advocate for improving election integrity,” said Schmidt during a May confirmation hearing.

While overseeing elections is perhaps the Department of State’s most prominent role, it also oversees public health and safety licensing, charity registration, and sanctioning several combat sports.

Schmidt received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Joe Biden in January 2023. The White House says Schmidt “kept the vote tally going in the face of pressure and efforts to overturn the (2020) election.” Schmidt was one of 12 people to receive the medal on January 6, 2023.

 A Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022, Dr. Val Arkoosh has served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners since 2015 and led the National Physicians Alliance. The Governor’s office says as Acting Secretary, Arkoosh “oversaw a Medicaid backlog reduction – narrowing a list of 35,000 waiting for applicants by 75% to less than 8,500 applicants, which has since been cleared.”

Former Republican State Sen. Pat Browne served in the General Assembly for 28 years representing Lehigh and Northampton counties in the House and Senate. He also served as State Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman.

The Governor’s office says the Department of Revenue under Browne oversaw a “successful tax filing season,” an extension for filling rebates and property taxes, and updated monthly revenue reports.