Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during an interview with the Canadian Press in Calgary on Dec. 11, 2025. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh
Alberta is planning legislation to restrict access to euthanasia and to press ahead with the creation of a new provincial police force.
As the Legislative Assembly of Alberta reconvened on Feb. 24, government House Leader Joseph Schow said the province will tighten rules for medical assistance in dying (MAID) aiming to better protect vulnerable residents.
The government is also moving to expand staffing for its forthcoming Alberta Sheriffs Police Service, making it easier for current Alberta Sheriffs peace officers to transition into police roles.
Schow noted these measures are among 18 bills planned for the legislative session, which runs until May.
MAID Rules
MAID is currently available in Canada to adults capable of informed consent who are suffering from a “grievous and irremediable” medical condition, whether the condition is terminal or not. Ottawa’s planned expansion to permit MAID for those whose sole underlying cause is mental illness is currently paused until next year.
Schow said the province plans to ban MAID for mature minors, those whose only underlying condition is mental illness, those making an advance request for MAID in the future, and adults without the capacity to make independent health-care decisions.
Mature minors are individuals under 18 who are legally deemed capable of understanding and making their own medical treatment decisions.
Most of the items mentioned by Schow are already barred at the federal level. However, Alberta is seeking to make those limits explicit under provincial law and prevent MAID rules from being expanded or changed in the future.
Schow said the Alberta government will also propose enhanced oversight and regulation of MAID, including all medical professionals involved in referring, assessing, or performing MAID.
