LIHUE>> A Kauai County Council bill that would legalize hundreds of existing vacation rentals on agricultural lands is gaining ground.

The new bill received a county Planning Commission stamp of approval in April. It sailed through a first hearing at the county council last month.

The bill proposed by Councilman Tim Bynum would give vacation rentals operating on land zoned for agriculture an opportunity to apply for a permit.

The vacation rentals would have to have been operating before March 7, 2008 to qualify.

Two years ago, Kauai passed a law creating a path for vacation rental owners to legalize their operations by applying for permits.

But this measure specifically excluded those operating on agriculture land.