Alberta passes bill restricting assisted suicide, banning it for minors and mental illness

by Anthony Murdoch

Alberta’s bill would also let physicians and health care facilities refuse to offer assisted suicide and would ban medical professionals from initiating conversations about the practice.

EDMONTON, Alberta (LifeSiteNews) — A bill that places strict limits on who can get euthanasia and bans it for minors was passed by the majority of legislators in the province of Alberta.

The Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, or Bill 18, passed third reading and now only needs Royal Assent to become law, which is all but a certainty at this point.

The bill was passed with all United Conservative Party (UCP) MLAs voting for it and with all New Democratic Party (NDP) MLAs voting against it.

Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) welcomed the news of Bill 18’s passing, saying the bill “blocks expansion to mental illness alone, mature minors, and advance requests, while adding requirements for practitioner training, consultation with other caregivers, and accountability measures for regulatory colleges.”

“The legislation strengthens safeguards around euthanasia in the province by introducing key protections, including a 12-month terminal prognosis requirement that effectively excludes ‘Track 2’ cases (non-terminal euthanasia),” noted CLC in an X post.

“While it does not end euthanasia, supporters say it strengthens protections for vulnerable people and reinforces the role of palliative care.”

Bill 18, once it becomes law, will limit assisted suicide or so-called “MAiD” (Medical Assistance in Dying”) eligibility to those whose “natural death is reasonably foreseeable and prohibit MAiD where a natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, also known as Track 2 MAiD.”

The bill will also ban assisted suicide in Alberta for those under 18 and for those “whose sole condition is a mental illness.”

It would also let all physicians and health care facilities “refuse to assess or provide MAiD” as well as ban “physicians from making referrals for individuals to receive MAiD outside of Alberta.”