What Happened At The Legislature?

The Alberta Legislature is currently on break for the summer, but will reconvene on October 27th for another sitting of the 31st Legislature.

In preparation for that return, we wanted to get you up to speed on everything that's happened so far this year.

But first, how exactly does Alberta's Legislature calendar work?

First, each election creates a new "Legislature" - this being the 31st.

Then, in between each election, each Legislature can be broken up into separate "Sessions".

Each session starts with a new Throne Speech and new Bills (proposed laws), with the numbering system restarted back at 1.

(So Bill 1 in Session 1 is a completely different piece of legislation than Bill 1 in Session 2, or than Bill 1 in Session 1 of a different Legislature!)

Usually, each Session is further divided into a Spring and Fall sitting (there's no Throne Speech for a new sitting, and Bills continue), but technically, a single Session could span multiple years and many different Spring and Fall sittings, so long as there's no new Throne Speech.

This is exactly what's happened recently in Alberta.

The current session has been running since the last election in 2023, and we don't know yet whether this Fall's sitting will be a continuation of Session 1, or start a new Session with a new Throne Speech.

Within each sitting, daily proceedings follow a structured routine, starting with standard items like Question Period and Bill introductions, followed by debates on ongoing Bills.

The year's Spring sitting of the 31st Legislature was a busy one, and several important bills were passed that will impact everything from our economy to public safety.

So, read on below for a summary of all the Bills passed so far this year.

And yes, we plan to do this kind of roundup for all future sittings as well, so keep an eye out for those updates in the future!

Whether it's through our newsletters, email updates, or in-depth reports, we'll ensure you stay in the loop and understand the impact of the changes happening in our province, breaking down the most critical bills and decisions, and explaining what they mean for you.

(If you want to support this and the other work we do, please consider donating here.)

Fiscal & Taxation Reforms

The Financial Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 39), 2025 changes Alberta’s personal income tax system by lowering the lowest tax rate from 10% to 8% for income below $60,000. It also introduces a new supplemental tax credit, repeals outdated refund provisions, and adjusts certain credit calculations.

The Appropriation Act (Bill 42), 2025 authorizes spending from Alberta's General Revenue Fund for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. It allocates $165 million for the Legislative Assembly and over $62 billion for the Public Service, including expenses, capital investments, financial transactions, and contingencies. Ministers can also transfer funds between votes, generally limited to $5 million increases.

Public Health

The Mental Health Services Protection Amendment Act (Bill 37), 2025 broadens the definition of “service” to include more types of treatment and care for mental health and addiction. It clarifies licensing rules, empowers the Minister to set care standards, and creates a new appeals process and registry for service providers.

The Compassionate Intervention Act (Bill 53), 2025 sets out how the government can intervene in severe substance use cases where individuals pose a substantial risk of harm to themselves or others. It establishes the Compassionate Intervention Commission, allows assessment orders for up to 72 hours, and care plan orders for secure care (3 months) or community care (6 months). Clients cannot refuse observation or authorized drugs, and the Act repeals the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act.

The Health Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 55), 2025 reorganizes Alberta’s health governance by phasing out regional health authorities and hospital boards, introducing provincial health agencies, corporations, and hospital operators. Powers are transferred to the Minister and new provincial entities, streamlining administration and updating terminology across numerous Acts.

Public Safety, Emergency Management, and Consumer Protection

The Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 38), 2025 updates several Alberta laws to improve efficiency. It transfers charity regulation powers from the Minister to a Director, clarifies inspections and appeals, updates Child and Youth Advocate duties, repeals the Energy Diversification Act, allows electronic delivery of rental notices, and expands accountability in skilled trades.

The Professional Governance Act (Bill 40), 2025 establishes Professional Regulatory Organizations (PROs) to ensure competence and ethical conduct in regulated professions. PROs cannot set fees or act as bargaining agents, and public members appointed by the Minister oversee governance.

The Critical Infrastructure Defense Amendment Act (Bill 45), 2025 expands the definition of “essential infrastructure” to include all land within 2 km of the US border and facilities involved in extracting, processing, or refining bitumen, crude oil, natural gas, or condensates.

The Information and Privacy Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 46), 2025 updates the Access to Information Act and Protection of Privacy Act. It creates the “Office of Statistics and Information,” defines how data can be collected, retained, used, and disclosed, and ensures privacy provisions prevail in conflicts.

The Automobile Insurance Act (Bill 47), 2025 governs Alberta auto insurance starting January 1, 2027. It establishes a no-fault compensation system for bodily injury or death, sets a tort bar with specific exceptions, and creates the Alberta Automobile Care-first Tribunal to hear insurer appeals.

The iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48), 2025 establishes the Alberta iGaming Corporation to manage online lottery schemes for the government, regulate suppliers, promote responsible gaming, and direct surplus funds to the General Revenue Fund.

The Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 49), 2025 strengthens Alberta’s emergency and policing laws by clarifying emergency definitions, expanding ministerial powers for financial aid, and allowing retroactive regulations. It also allows municipalities to contract Independent Agency Police Services (IAPS) instead of the RCMP, with rules for oversight, budgets, and governance.

The Appropriation (Supplementary Supply) Act (Bill 43), 2025 lets the government spend additional funds not included in the original budget. It adds $470 million for regular services, $3.9 million for major projects, and $18.3 million for financial matters, and reallocates funds across ministries including Health, Mental Health & Addiction, Arts, Culture, Family Services, Indigenous Relations, and Justice.

Government Operations and Public Sector Management

The Election Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 54), 2025 updates election rules, banning electronic vote counters, ending vouching at polls, limiting voter distance from polling stations, and capping business and union donations at $5,000 per year.

The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 50), 2025 standardizes school board terminology, introduces accessible voting equipment, increases Ministerial oversight of council procedures, enhances intervention in intermunicipal agreements, and allows owner-builders to construct homes without full warranty under the New Home Buyer Protection Act.

Education and Public Services

The Education Amendment Act (Bill 51), 2025 renames “private schools” to “independent schools,” updates joint use and planning agreements, allows the transfer of new school property to the Crown, prohibits disqualifying trustees as a code of conduct sanction, and amends teacher complaint procedures.

The Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 52), 2025 restructures Alberta’s electricity market by introducing “day-ahead” and “real-time” markets. It allows the Minister to set rules for Restructured Energy Market ISOs, integrates hydrogen blending into the Gas Distribution and Gas Utilities Acts, and establishes a consumer awareness surcharge.

Environment and Agriculture

The Wildlife Amendment Act (Bill 41), 2025 updates definitions and hunting rules, introduces electronic tagging, clarifies resident definitions, regulates supervised youth hunting, restricts firearm discharge from vehicles or boats, and expands Ministerial powers over wildlife feeding and attracting.

The Agricultural Operation Practices Amendment Act (Bill 44), 2025 expands definitions of agricultural operations and organic materials, strengthens Ministerial authority to issue codes and standards, increases inspection powers for emergency cleanup orders, and updates enforcement powers for inspectors and boards.

Your generosity enables us to keep you informed and engaged in Alberta's legislative process.

Thank you for your continued support, and stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming session!

- The Alberta Institute Team