Alberta Bill 18 will provide limits to euthanasia.

Alberta Bill 18: Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Alberta's Minister of Justice, Mickey Amery, introduced Bill 18: the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act (today) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Bill 18 is designed to create greater oversight of (MAiD) euthanasia in Alberta through provincial powers and will accomplish a few key outcomes. Bill 18 will:

• require the individual to have a 12 month terminal prognosis, thus limiting euthanasia to Track 1 approvals. Track 1 refers to people who have a reasonably forseeable death.
• prevent the expansion of euthanasia to people with mental illness alone, 
• prevent the expansion of euthanasia to "mature minors", 
• prevent euthanasia for people who cannot consent.
• prevent euthanasia by advanced request.
• prevent out of province referrals,
• require the assessor to contact other practitioners who have cared for the patient, before approval.
• require (MAiD) euthanasia practitioners to receive specific training,
• prevent health care practitioners from introducing euthanasia, without a request,
• require Regulatory Colleges to sanction practitioners who violate the act.
• provide conscience rights by enabling practitioners to refuse to participate or provide assessments for (MAiD) euthanasia,
• enable institutions to refuse to participate or provide assessments for euthanasia,
• create an exclusion zone for euthanasia around an institution that refuses to participate,
• require practitioners who refuse to participate or provide assessments to provide information to patients wanting to access euthanasia.

Alberta Health Services released its 2025 (MAiD) euthanasia data indicating that there were 1,242 reported euthanasia deaths in Alberta which was up by more than 11% from 1,117 in 2024. Alberta represents 11.8% of Canada's population.

Based on the data, as of March 18, 2026 there has likely been more than 6500 Alberta euthanasia deaths since legalization.

Bill 18 doesn't prohibit euthanasia but it provides reasonable controls over euthanasia, while preventing euthanasia for people who are not terminally ill or living with mental illness as their sole underlying condition, and it prevents further expansions of euthanasia in Alberta. 

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition supports Bill 18 and we urge other Canadian provinces to follow Alberta's lead.