The Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Pilot Program (NVWPP) is a 3-year test program mandated by law (section 313 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986) to waive, under certain conditions, temporary visitor visas. The administration must report back to Congress on the pilot program in the summer of 1990.
The countries are selected by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. They are countries with the highest volume of nonimmigrant visa issuance and which offer reciprocal treatment of American citizen travelers. The purpose of the program is to promote tourism and reduce visa processing costs.
The program was instituted in the United Kingdom and Japan in 1988. Italy is the third country to qualify for the program. Under the program, nationals of these countries, during the duration of the pilot program, will not be required to obtain visas to visit the United States for up to 90 days for tourism and business.
We will work with the countries that participate in the program to ensure the safety of air travelers and to thwart terrorism and drug trafficking.
George Bush, White House Fact Sheet on the Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Pilot Program Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/262702