Alberta’s Bill -18 Proposes Important Safeguards to MAID Regime

On March 18, 2026, the Alberta government introduced Bill 18, Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, 2^nd Sess, 31^st Leg, 2026 (Bill 18).

Key Elements of Bill 18

Bill 18 would address many deep concerns about the rapid expansion and lack of oversight of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) regime. For starters, the Bill would:

• Require that natural death be reasonably foreseeable within 12 months
• Prohibit MAID for mental illness
• Prohibit MAID for youth, by advance request and for those without decision-making capacity

Importantly, Bill 18 would explicitly designate MAID-free health care facilities. In MAID-free facilities, both the organization and individual medical professionals would have the right to refuse to provide MAID. Medical professionals would not be forced to give an opinion on whether a patient should access MAID, and MAID-free spaces would not be required to display MAID-related materials.

For patients in MAID-free facilities who want information or access to MAID, there would be a requirement to refer that patient to another facility or medical professional for information about “all available medical options.”

Given the lack of oversight and rigorous enforcement of MAID criteria, Bill 18 would enforce that contraventions of the law are unacceptable and medical professionals who violate Bill 18’s provisions would be subject to findings of unprofessional conduct under the Health Professions Act. 

The Bill also:

• Outlines the rights and responsibilities of patients, physicians, and health care facilities regarding MAID;
• Proposes a care coordination service for people who want MAID;
• Establishes education and training requirements for MAID providers

Bill 18 would come into force upon proclamation. It would not apply to prior written requests for MAID, nor to health care professionals who already assess for or provide MAID.

Other Legislation to Limit Rapid Expansion of MAID

Bill C-218 is a federal bill that would protect Canadians struggling with mental illness from being given MAID, instead of care, support and treatment. Without this, or other legislation, MAID for the sole underlying reason of mental illness will come into effect in March 2027.

Bill C-260, Preventing Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying Act is a federal bill that would make it offence for certain government officials to propose MAID to individuals. It excludes medical professionals and requires that the official (a) be in a position of trust or authority and (b) know the person has not specifically requested a conversation about MAID. This Bill was motivated, at least in part, by Veterans Affairs staff proactively offering MAID to veterans who were seeking support and not MAID.

MAID-Free Spaces Are Essential

We have written elsewhere that MAID-free spaces and life-affirming care organizations are essential:

“Life-affirming care is committed to providing, facilitating, and offering the very social supports that, without which, many MAID patients have chosen death. This care demonstrates that there is dignity and worth in every single person, that all people are valued, that all people have a place, and that dignity and worth are not dependent on a person’s health, stage of life, or ability.”

This is also the core of our intervention in the O’Neill v Providence case in British Columbia. CCCC is currently finalizing our written arguments, which focus on

• The need for collective conscience protections—not just for individuals, but for entire organizations.
• The importance of respecting charity law, which obliges charitable institutions to act in line with their foundational purposes.

If you want to know more about CCCC Interventions, we’ve written a four-part series in our Bulletins – see our March, April, May and June 2025 editions. You can also check our Legal Cases page.

And as always, if you have questions or would like support, please contact our Member Support Team by phone or email.