New Alberta legislation to restrict MAID access
Everything you need to know about the Government of Alberta’s Bill 18 and how it would restrict Albertans’ access to MAID.
The basics
On May 14, 2026, Bill 18 received Royal Assent, which means it is now law. However, this law does not go into effect until it is proclaimed. The timing for how quickly it becomes proclaimed is unclear. Importantly, until the law is proclaimed, there is no change to how MAID is governed or provided in Alberta.
When the law is proclaimed, how MAID is governed and provided in Alberta will change dramatically. However, there are clauses regarding individuals whose MAID applications are already underway, exempting them from the new restrictions. Those clauses specify that the restrictions of the new provincial law won’t apply if:
1. An individual has made a request in writing for MAID, and that request is signed and dated before the law was proclaimed
2. An individual has signed a written request for MAID on behalf of an applicant who was physically unable to sign the form themselves, and that request is signed and dated before the law was proclaimed
3. A person who was in the process of providing, or assisting with the process of providing the following, before the law was proclaimed:
- An opinion as to whether an individual is eligible for MAID
- An assessment of whether the federal safeguards have been met
- A MAID provision
What changes does Bill 18 bring?
Once proclaimed, Bill 18 will:
- Requiring physicians and nurse practitioners assessing someone for MAID to make a reasonable effort to contact each practitioner who is/has acted as a primary care provider for the individual within the 12-month period before the individual requested MAID
- In the absence of a primary care provider, assessors must contact the practitioner listed in the individual’s health information as primarily responsible for the individual’s care.
- Requiring assessors to make a reasonable effort to review the individual’s health information and their personal information
- Prohibit practitioners in Alberta from making referrals for individuals to receive MAID eligibility assessments outside the province
- Requiring the presence of a family member to witness MAID provision, unless the practitioner providing MAID to the person determines that a family member is not reasonably available
- Declaring that under the provincial MAID legislation certain types of health-care facilities have a right to refuse to allow MAID assessment or provision on their premises. This includes allowing these facilities to create an ‘exclusion zone’ of 150 metres around their premises in which MAID services would not be permitted
- Limiting eligibility to Track 1 MAID, that is individuals 18 and over with capacity to make their own health care decisions whose natural death has been determined as being reasonably foreseeable (defined here as likely to happen within the next 12 months). In other words, eliminating Track 2 MAID.
- Prohibiting MAID for specific groups of individuals, including:
1. individuals under 18 years old
2. individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness
3. individuals without the capacity to make their own health-care decisions
4. individuals seeking an advance request for MAID
- Restricting regulated health professionals from providing information about MAID to their patients unless the patient brings it up
- Restricting the public display of MAID information, such as posters, within health-care facilities
- Requiring MAID assessors and providers to meet training and educational requirements and introduce mandatory sanctions for physicians and nurse practitioners who violate Alberta’s MAID legislation
- Declaring that practitioners have the right to refuse to conduct MAID assessments or provide MAID in Alberta
Why it matters
- It violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Limiting MAID to those with a prognosis of 12 months or less and excluding people whose deaths are not reasonably foreseeable and those with a mental illness as their sole underlying medical condition violates both sections 7 and 15 of the Charter.
- The Government of Alberta does not have jurisdiction over criminal law
MAID has been governed under federal criminal law since the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2016 decision in Carter v. Canada established a national legal framework for MAID legislation in the Criminal Code. Bill 18 clearly speaks to federal legislation over which the province has no jurisdiction.
- It restricts access to public health information
The legislation will prevent health care professionals from raising MAID as an option and limit how information can be shared. This is a significant change. Limiting end-of-life conversations undermines informed consent and risks leaving individuals unable to make fully informed decisions about their care.
- It forces clinicians to breach their professional obligations
Clinicians have a professional obligation to disclose all options that are available to a person when they are making their health care decisions. This legislation forces them to breach that obligation.
- It requires a family member to witness the provision of MAID
Requiring a family member to witness the MAID provision means that a patient could be forced to have someone present at their MAID procedure against their wishes. It would also put clinicians in the position of contacting family members, including those that the patient may be estranged from, undermining patient autonomy and creating a barrier to access.
- It limits access for eligible Albertans
Bill 18 means that an Albertan will have stricter eligibility criteria than those in the rest of Canada. The federal law allows MAID for those whose natural deaths are not reasonably foreseeable; Alberta is removing this option entirely and is limiting MAID to those with a 12-month life expectancy. For those with dementia and other capacity-diminishing diagnoses this could mean that they may lose out on the choice of MAID entirely.
- It introduces new barriers where safeguards already exist
MAID in Canada is already subject to strict eligibility criteria, multiple independent assessments, and professional oversight. Bill 18 does not address a gap in safeguards. Instead, it introduces additional barriers that risk delaying or limiting access for Albertans who meet the existing legal requirements.
- It goes against what Albertans support
Public opinion research in early 2026 shows strong and consistent support for the current MAID framework. A recent national study found that 79% of Albertans (85% of Canadians) support the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision on MAID and likewise, 79% (82%) support access for individuals whose death is not reasonably foreseeable. Bill 18 moves in the opposite direction by restricting access that most Albertans support and expect to be available.
What you can do
While this change will not impact you if you live outside of Alberta, it provides a dangerous and disturbing example of what can happen when federal jurisdiction is not respected and the voices of those impacted by such legislation are not heard.
In Alberta? Tell your MLA and Member of Parliament to respect our end-of-life rights:
Outside of Alberta? Send a message to your Member of Parliament:
Write a Letter to the Editor
Media coverage is needed to educate the public and decision-makers on the importance of this issue. Please write a thoughtful submission based on the above points and on your personal perspective and experiences. You can find email addresses for major papers, along with their word count guidelines, below. Consider also sending a letter to your local newspaper.
- The Globe and Mail (max 150 words) – Email: letters@globeandmail.com
- Toronto Star (max 320 words) – Submit letters here
- Edmonton Journal (max 500 characters) Submit letters here
- National Post (max 500 characters) – Submit letters here
- Calgary Herald (max 500 characters) – Submit letters here
Share your perspective on social media
Share this page, along with your thoughts on Bill 18, to your social media profiles to raise awareness. Encourage your loved ones to do the same. If you see comments online that you don’t agree with, respond by clarifying the facts. Always be respectful when doing so.
Share your story with us
If you are from Alberta and are concerned about your or your loved ones’ rights to access MAID, please share your story with our team. If you have a specific condition related to Track 2 access to MAID, please include that detail.
Empower. Inform. Protect your rights.