Alberta Bill Restricts MAID to Foreseeable Death Cases

Alberta's provincial government introduced legislation on March 18, 2026, to significantly restrict access to medical assistance in dying, limiting it to individuals whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable within 12 months. The bill, known as the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, targets what officials describe as protections for vulnerable residents, amid ongoing federal expansions of the program.

Premier Danielle Smith announced the measure in the legislature, emphasizing that medical assistance in dying, or MAID, should serve as a last resort for those with terminal illnesses. "We believe MAID must be a compassionate option reserved only for those who will not recover from terminal illness," Smith told reporters. The proposed law would eliminate so-called Track 2 eligibility, which applies to people suffering from serious, non-terminal conditions in an advanced state of irreversible decline. It would also bar access for anyone whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness, a provision set to align with but preempt a federal expansion delayed until March 17, 2027.

Under the bill, eligibility would revert to Track 1 criteria, mirroring the...