In April 2019, Lamont signed his first executive order, which directs state office buildings and vehicle fleets to become more energy-efficient through an expanded “Lead By Example Sustainability Initiative." The initiative aims to reduce both the carbon footprint and cost of state government operations. On May 29, he signed a bill that raised the state minimum wage to $11 an hour that October and to $15 an hour by 2023. On June 3, he signed three gun control bills, including Ethan's Law, which requires safely storing firearms in households where children are present, bans ghost guns, and bans storing unlocked guns in unattended vehicles. The same month, he signed a bill that banned gay panic defense in Connecticut.