diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 8db34bfba5f..e8afab6751d
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/ec2.py
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ def camel_dict_to_snake_dict(camel_dict):
 
         return all_cap_re.sub(r'\1_\2', s1).lower()
 
-
     def value_is_list(camel_list):
 
         checked_list = []
@@ -341,7 +340,6 @@ def camel_dict_to_snake_dict(camel_dict):
 
         return checked_list
 
-
     snake_dict = {}
     for k, v in camel_dict.items():
         if isinstance(v, dict):
@@ -464,7 +462,6 @@ def get_ec2_security_group_ids_from_names(sec_group_list, ec2_connection, vpc_id
         else:
             return sg.name
 
-
     def get_sg_id(sg, boto3):
 
         if boto3:
@@ -472,7 +469,6 @@ def get_ec2_security_group_ids_from_names(sec_group_list, ec2_connection, vpc_id
         else:
             return sg.id
 
-
     sec_group_id_list = []
 
     if isinstance(sec_group_list, string_types):
@@ -514,3 +510,46 @@ def get_ec2_security_group_ids_from_names(sec_group_list, ec2_connection, vpc_id
 
     return sec_group_id_list
 
+
+def sort_json_policy_dict(policy_dict):
+
+    """ Sort any lists in an IAM JSON policy so that comparison of two policies with identical values but
+    different orders will return true
+    Args:
+        policy_dict (dict): Dict representing IAM JSON policy.
+    Basic Usage:
+        >>> my_iam_policy = {'Principle': {'AWS':["31","7","14","101"]}
+        >>> sort_json_policy_dict(my_iam_policy)
+    Returns:
+        Dict: Will return a copy of the policy as a Dict but any List will be sorted
+        {
+            'Principle': {
+                'AWS': [ '7', '14', '31', '101' ]
+            }
+        }
+    """
+
+    def value_is_list(my_list):
+
+        checked_list = []
+        for item in my_list:
+            if isinstance(item, dict):
+                checked_list.append(sort_json_policy_dict(item))
+            elif isinstance(item, list):
+                checked_list.append(value_is_list(item))
+            else:
+                checked_list.append(item)
+
+        checked_list.sort()
+        return checked_list
+
+    ordered_policy_dict = {}
+    for key, value in policy_dict.items():
+        if isinstance(value, dict):
+            ordered_policy_dict[key] = sort_json_policy_dict(value)
+        elif isinstance(value, list):
+            ordered_policy_dict[key] = value_is_list(value)
+        else:
+            ordered_policy_dict[key] = value
+
+    return ordered_policy_dict
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index b8ca836b79a..45a88635c04
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md
@@ -233,6 +233,34 @@ result = connection.aws_call()
 module.exit_json(changed=True, **camel_dict_to_snake_dict(result))
 ```
 
+### Dealing with IAM JSON policy
+
+If your module accepts IAM JSON policies then set the type to 'json' in the module spec. For example"
+
+```python
+argument_spec.update(
+    dict(
+        policy=dict(required=False, default=None, type='json'),
+    )
+)
+```
+
+Note that AWS is unlikely to return the policy in the same order that is was submitted. Therefore, a helper
+function has been created to order policies before comparison.
+
+```python
+# Get the policy from AWS
+current_policy = aws_object.get_policy()
+
+# Compare the user submitted policy to the current policy but sort them first
+if sort_json_policy_dict(user_policy) == sort_json_policy_dict(current_policy):
+    # Nothing to do
+    pass
+else:
+    # Update the policy
+    aws_object.set_policy(user_policy)
+```
+
 ### Helper functions
 
 Along with the connection functions in Ansible ec2.py module_utils, there are some other useful functions detailed below.
@@ -261,4 +289,10 @@ Opposite of above. Converts an Ansible dict to a boto3 tag list of dicts.
 
 Pass this function a list of security group names or combination of security group names and IDs and this function will
 return a list of IDs.  You should also pass the VPC ID if known because security group names are not necessarily unique
-across VPCs.
\ No newline at end of file
+across VPCs.
+
+### sort_json_policy_dict
+
+Pass any JSON policy dict to this function in order to sort any list contained therein. This is useful
+because AWS rarely return lists in the same order that they were submitted so without this function, comparison
+of identical policies returns false.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/s3_bucket.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/s3_bucket.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 37b3ffcc7ee..05c6a8527a0
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/s3_bucket.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/amazon/s3_bucket.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ def _create_or_update_bucket(connection, module, location):
             # only show changed if there was already a policy
             changed = bool(current_policy)
 
-        elif current_policy != policy:
+        elif sort_json_policy_dict(current_policy) != sort_json_policy_dict(policy):
             try:
                 bucket.set_policy(json.dumps(policy))
                 changed = True