The Attorney General’s Substance Use Response Working Group (SURG) 1 is required to “comprehensively review various aspects of substance misuse and substance use disorders and programs and activities to combat substance misuse and substance use disorders in this State” and to “study, evaluate and make recommendations concerning the use of [state and local money].”

Established in 2021 by Assembly Bill 374 and revised in 2025 under Assembly Bill 193, the SURG assesses evidence-based strategies for preventing substance use and intervening to stop substance use, examines qualitative and quantitative data to understand the risk factors that contribute to substance use and the rates of substance use, and substance use disorders, and makes recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services. The SURG is comprised of three subcommittees that make recommendations specific to each area of the governing legislation: 1. Prevention Subcommittee, 2. Treatment and Recovery Subcommittee, 3. Response Subcommittee