Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 33, § 67B

There shall be a Massachusetts medal of fidelity to be presented to the next of kin of a service member or veteran who died as the result of (i) service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder; (ii) a condition resulting from a service-connected traumatic brain injury; or (iii) a service-connected disease, condition or injury related to the exposure to harmful toxins, herbicides, agents or materials, where the exposure occurred while serving in the armed forces of the United States, active or reserve components, or the Massachusetts national guard. A service member shall have entered military service or state active duty from the commonwealth, have been a resident of the commonwealth at the time of death or have been a member of the Massachusetts national guard at the time of death. To be eligible, a service member or veteran must have served after December 6, 1941. The adjutant general or designee and 2 field grade officers of the armed forces of the commonwealth detailed by the commander-in-chief shall constitute a commission to make recommendations to the commander-in-chief for the awarding of the Massachusetts medal of fidelity.