diff --git a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/RELEASE.md b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/RELEASE.md
index ddcfecdec..ae5932b2b 100644
--- a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/RELEASE.md
+++ b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/RELEASE.md
@@ -3,8 +3,15 @@ To publish a new version of the aws-db-esdk for version N.N.N
 1. Acquire the appropriate permissions
 1. Ensure git checkout of main is fresh and clean
 1. ./start_release.sh N.N.N
-1. cd ../../../releases/rust/db_esdk
+1. `cd ../../../releases/rust/db_esdk`
 1. Create a PR with all changed or added files
-1. cargo publish
-1. cd ../../../DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/ # i.e. return here
+1. Within the PR, make sure you also:
+   1. Update the `CHANGELOG.md` in the root directory with the changes
+   1. If this is a major version bump, update the `SUPPORT_POLICY.rst` for Rust
+   1. Get the PR reviewed by a teammate
+   1. Before merging the PR, publish the new version of the `aws-db-esdk` crate and test the published crate (documented in next steps)
+1. Run `cargo publish`
+1. `cd ../../../DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/` # i.e. return here
 1. ./test_published.sh N.N.N
+1. Ignore/stash the changes in `DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_examples/Cargo.toml` which adds the `aws-db-esdk`
+1. Merge the release PR
diff --git a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/start_release.sh b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/start_release.sh
index 20e5dbe6e..d4926e8e9 100755
--- a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/start_release.sh
+++ b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/start_release.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash -eu
 
+# Check if exactly one argument is provided
 if [ "$#" -ne 1 ]; then
     echo 1>&2 "USAGE: start_release.sh N.N.N"
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Go to the directory of this script
 cd $( dirname ${BASH_SOURCE[0]} )
 
+# Check if the provided argument matches the version pattern
 REGEX_VERSION='^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$'
 MATCHES=$(echo "$1" | egrep $REGEX_VERSION | wc -l)
 if [ $MATCHES -eq 0 ]; then
@@ -14,23 +17,41 @@ if [ $MATCHES -eq 0 ]; then
    exit 1
 fi
 
+# Update the version in Cargo.toml
 perl -pe "s/^version = .*$/version = \"$1\"/" < Cargo.toml > new_Cargo.toml
 mv new_Cargo.toml Cargo.toml
 
+# Remove all files and directories in src except for specified files
 find src -depth 1 | egrep -v '(intercept.rs|lib.rs|software_externs.rs)' | xargs rm -rf
+
+# Change to the parent directory and run make polymorph and transpile commands
 cd ../..
 make polymorph_rust transpile_rust test_rust
+
+# Remove target directory
 cd runtimes/rust
 rm -rf target
+
+# Remove existing release directory and copy current directory to releases
 rm -rf ../../../releases/rust/db_esdk
 cp -r . ../../../releases/rust/db_esdk
+
+# Go to the release directory
 cd ../../../releases/rust/db_esdk
+
+# Restore the dafny_runtime_rust directory that was previously tracked by Git but had been deleted
 git checkout dafny_runtime_rust
+
+# Remove unnecessary files and directories
 rm -rf *~ copy_externs.sh start_release.sh test_published.sh test_examples *.pem RELEASE.md
+
+# Create .gitignore file with specified entries
 echo Cargo.lock > .gitignore
 echo target >> .gitignore
 
+# Run cargo test and example tests
 cargo test
 cargo run --example main
-rm -f Cargo.lock *.pem
 
+# Remove Cargo.lock and .pem files after testing the examples
+rm -f Cargo.lock *.pem
diff --git a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_examples/Cargo.toml b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_examples/Cargo.toml
index ffe66f515..8026ccd07 100644
--- a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_examples/Cargo.toml
+++ b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_examples/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 [package]
 name = "aws-db-esdk-examples"
-version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.80.0"
 
diff --git a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_published.sh b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_published.sh
index 7841817fa..00d7c3f2d 100755
--- a/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_published.sh
+++ b/DynamoDbEncryption/runtimes/rust/test_published.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 #!/bin/bash -eu
 
+# Check if exactly one argument is provided
 if [ "$#" -ne 1 ]; then
     echo 1>&2 "USAGE: test_published.sh N.N.N"
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Go to the directory of this script
 cd $( dirname ${BASH_SOURCE[0]} )
 
+# Check if the provided argument matches the version pattern
 REGEX_VERSION='^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$'
-
 echo "$1" | egrep -q $REGEX_VERSION
 if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo 1>&2 "Version \"$1\" must be N.N.N"
@@ -17,14 +19,21 @@ fi
 
 VERSION=$1
 
+# Update examples in test_examples directory
 rm -rf test_examples/src
 cp -r examples test_examples/src/
 cd test_examples
+
+# Add aws-db-esdk
 cargo add aws-db-esdk
+
+# Check if the added version matches the provided version
 MATCH=$(fgrep "aws-db-esdk = \"$VERSION\"" Cargo.toml | wc -l)
 if [ $MATCH -eq "0" ]; then
     echo Version $VERSION of aws-db-esdk not the most recent
     egrep '^aws-db-esdk' Cargo.toml
     exit 1
 fi
+
+# Run the cargo project
 cargo run
diff --git a/submodules/smithy-dafny b/submodules/smithy-dafny
index 99d3dd9d1..caef7793d 160000
--- a/submodules/smithy-dafny
+++ b/submodules/smithy-dafny
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 99d3dd9d1902b54e0cb1f659379c8db43aec29b9
+Subproject commit caef7793d4bf85ae5eb488b2159b693f478c990d