Overview
- Bill 18 would restrict eligibility to patients whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable within 12 months, effectively ending Track 2 in the province.
- The legislation would prohibit MAID when mental illness is the sole condition and maintain existing bans for minors and those lacking decision-making capacity.
- Providers would be barred from referring patients for MAID outside Alberta, could not initiate MAID discussions, and facilities could refuse assessments or provision.
- Mandatory training and new sanctions would apply to assessors and providers who violate the provincial rules.
- Premier Danielle Smith cites protection of vulnerable residents and a 136% rise in Alberta’s Track 2 deaths since 2021, as Ottawa delays any mental‑illness‑only expansion to March 2027 and Alberta prepares to defend the bill in court.