Earlier this month, members of the Utah House Majority Caucus elected Rep. Casey Snider as majority leader. In this episode of “House Rules,” host Rep. Stephen Whyte interviews Snider about his background, leadership philosophy and the experiences that fueled his public service.
Snider is one of the youngest lawmakers to serve as House majority leader. A Cache County farmer, public lands advocate and volunteer firefighter, his path to office began during missionary service in Russia, when he says a Russian police officer broke his jaw – and he spent six months in and out of court. “I didn’t like feeling like the government controlled my life,” Snider said. “And I thought, well, I’m not just going to whine about it. I’m going to come home and I’m going to maybe be a participant in making things better.”
First elected in 2016, Snider has now served in seven legislative sessions. He describes the role of majority leader as service-oriented. “In my mind, the majority leader is very much a servant-style leadership. And so being in a position where you can help amazing people do amazing things is a pretty awesome opportunity.”
Snider sponsored H.B. 65 during the 2025 General Session, titled Firefighter Cancer Amendments. The bill modifies the Utah Occupational Disease Act to expand the list of presumptive occupational cancers from four to 15, including bladder, brain, lung, thyroid and leukemias. It requires the state to offer cancer screenings at no cost to firefighters after five years of service, with departments covering screening costs, and mandates regular screenings based on age beginning July 2025.
The legislation also allocates $3.7 million over three years to fund screenings through the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health and Utah Valley University’s statewide fire and rescue training program. Snider says the legislation addresses a dire need: “The one that the House passed last session dealing with firefighter cancer is probably the one that I feel like maybe helped individual people the most.”
Cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, accounting for around 60% of line-of-duty deaths. H.B. 65 earned unanimous support in both chambers and was signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on March 5, 2025.
Natural resources continue to be central to Snider’s policy agenda. He frames his work in terms of stewardship. “Our job is to use [resources] in a way that is wise so that the next generation gets that same opportunity.”
He also cites mentorship from former Rep. Rob Bishop and the late Sen. Bob Bennett, noting that leadership grounded in respect endures across political divides.
With the Legislature preparing for the 2025 General Session, Snider says his focus remains pragmatic: helping fellow members advance conservative policy on water, energy, land use and housing. “I look forward to helping in whatever way that I can to help members of this Majority Caucus succeed.”